44 extra students to be offered places at GHS

Education officials here have been ordered to admit to the Girls’ High School (GHS), 44 girls, who this year, were “unfairly” denied places there.

The directive to chief education officer Lou-Anne Gilchrist was contained in a letter dated August 17, 2015, from Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves.{{more}}

According to the letter, a copy of which was obtained by SEARCHLIGHT, girls ranking up to 118th (three tied for this position) in the 2015 sitting of the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) were assigned places at the prestigious all girls school.

However, two students who ranked 149th and 159th in the exam were also admitted, ahead of others who performed better and had expressed a preference to attend the GHS.

“[The] fundamental principle of equity, fairness, and merit has clearly been violated in the assignment of places at the GHS to two students….This means that potentially, 44 students (five were ranked at 159th) were unfairly denied places at GHS,” the letter, which was copied to the members of Cabinet and acting headmistress of the GHS Michelle Beache said.

“Mrs Beache’s explanatory letter of this injustice, unfairness, and illegality is itself damning of the GHS’ decision. The Ministry of Education has an obligation to put right what is clearly wrong.”

According to the letter, the acting headmistress admitted that the two students were not admitted to the school on the basis of merit, but “because of their timing — despite their rank.”

In respect of the student who placed 159th, Beache said the student “was given the option to enter the school, based on her parents’ and relatives’ affiliation and contribution to the school.”

Gonsalves then asked, “Since when has it been the policy of the Ministry of Education or the GHS to offer ‘option’ place to a student on the basis of the ‘affiliation and contribution to the school’ of the student’s parents or relatives? By all means recognize the ‘contribution’ or ‘affiliation’ of parents and relatives by way of a plaque or some such formal recognition, but as a matter of fundamental principle, a place cannot be offered at a publicly-funded school, owned and operated by the Government, other than on the established meritorious criteria related to the student herself/himself.”

The Prime Minister asked the chief education officer to let him know if any of the 44 students who placed between 121st and 159th had the GHS as their first choice and if they were going to be admitted to the GHS accordingly.

“I note five students were ranked 159th. What is the position of the other four who were identically-ranked with the student who was admitted to the GHS with a 159th ranking? Please advise.”

Gonsalves, however, said he does not support the “easy solution” of depriving the two students, ranked 149th and 159th, of their places at the GHS.

“This would hurt them and they are not at fault. Mrs Beache and the GHS were clearly in error in applying wrong principles or in allowing themselves to be improperly pressured to do the wrong thing. So the two children ought not to be punished with deprivation of their places at the GHS.

“However, places must be found at the GHS for all the female students who were placed 121st to 159th, inclusive, who are interested in being placed at GHS. I do not accept as valid any of the ‘practical’ considerations, such as books and uniforms already purchased for other schools, as a bar to a just, fair, lawful solution. If these students are interested in places at the GHS for September 2015, the Government has an obligation to pay for these items.

“I acknowledge that another 44 students at GHS will stretch the available physical accommodation for the First Forms. But we must find a way to accommodate them, and urgently too.

“Perhaps many, or indeed most parents of the students who were unfairly treated may accept a written undertaking from the Ministry of Education for these students to be guaranteed places at the GHS in September 2016 in one of the Form Twos.

“Accordingly, it is important that the parents of all these students be engaged, individually and/or collectively, as to the just, fair, and lawful way forward. But this matter cannot be left unattended. And it must not happen again!”