JP Eustace students hold their own ball

Fast on the heels of a report in another section of the media about calls by teachers of the Dr J.P. Eustace Secondary School for the removal of principal Sandra Bart-Peters, some former fifth form students have said in a letter obtained by Searchlight that they are “not willing to apologise to the acting principal …” as they and their parents “see absolutely no reason to make an apology”.{{more}}

The six-page letter from the students is headlined, “Why Apologise?” and refutes certain statements made by Bart-Peters in a meeting with parents and students on June 20.

The ultimatum of “No graduation unless there is an apology” had been made by the Bart-Peters after some fifth form students took to the streets to protest on June 13 after hearing rumours that there would be no graduation ceremony. The students claimed that when they tried to find out from their principal if there was any truth to what they had heard, she ignored them.

Responding to the students’ protest action, the principal said that damage to the school and her reputation had been brought on by the “unruly students” and called for them to apologise both in the media and in writing.

Just a misunderstanding

The students’ letter reads, “She (Bart-Peters) just wanted to make examples of us. The entire dispute will take place again in the future as long as Bart-Peters is there. Under CP Hall’s (former principal) regime the school was sailing on smooth waters. Teachers were comfortable, students were motivated as they had a principal they could talk to and be motivated by.”

When Searchlight contacted Chief Education Officer Susan Dougan, she described the entire issue as a misunderstanding which should have never been blown out of proportion. Dougan pointed out that the matter, especially the issues regarding the teachers’ disapproval of Bart-Peters should have been resolved “in-house” rather than in the media.

The Chief Education Officer stressed, “We are not encouraging that kind of behaviour from our practitioners in the schools. When we appoint a principal, that person is the manager responsible for matters at the school level.”

Dougan said that once a principal operates under the legal framework, the Ministry of Education does not intervene in internal matters. She said that graduation should come when students have “successfully” completed their prescribed areas of requirement in the institution and that the principal reserved the right to make certain decisions regarding graduation.

The proposed date for school’s graduation ceremony had been Thursday, July 5, but the students never wore their gowns, never received certificates and never took pictures with their parents at the St George’s Cathedral.

Instead of graduation gowns, the students donned formal wear and literally had “a ball of a time” at Club Marc-O-May that very night.