No child is to be denied entry to any school

Logan had been denied entry into St Charles High School because of her Rasta hairstyle.

The Ministry of Education has prepared a position paper, which is to be translated into law, that no child is to be denied entry into any school, public or private, on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex, language, national or social origin, or property.

At yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conference, Education Minister Hazel Manning announced that the committee which was established after the Logan incident has produced a Green Paper entitled "Standards for Operation" of all schools (public and private).

The document, which was originally designed for private schools only, (but was expanded to include public schools), reflects the "spirit and intent" of the Trinidad and Tobago Constitution, the Education Act, the Children’s Act, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Children and Unesco education for all policy, she said.

In short, it requires all schools to accept any child, regardless of race, religion etc, Manning said, adding that Government was not prepared to compromise on these principles. She added that the guidelines also reflected the philosophy of the 1993 Education Policy Paper which holds that all children can learn.

Manning said that once schools violate the guidelines, the ministry plans to take action. "The guidelines say what you have to do, and what you can’t do," she said.

In this regard, the Attorney General was dealing with the issue of the possible consequences for not abiding by the guidelines, she said. She added that the AG had already identified a consultant in this matter.

Manning said that in setting standards for the operation of schools, the document compiles all the rules relating to student registration, student admission, suitability of physical plant and premises, safety and health, curriculum, record-keeping, methods of instruction, discipline of staff and students, staffing and fees.

She said that in drafting the Standards report, the committee found it necessary to broaden the scope to include certification, the school climate, provision for students with special needs, administration and organisation and financial reporting.

She said the document also specifically states that private schools at which the ministry purchases places are required to conform completely with the Education Act.

She said the ministry has also produced another significant document entitled "The Quest for excellence: Quality Standards for Education in Trinidad and Tobago."

She said the ministry will conduct three national stakeholder conferences to expand the discussion on national standards for education. The conferences will be held in North and South Trinidad, and one in Tobago.

The minister also announced that the ministry had established a quality assurance unit which would model itself after the old inspectorate system.