Hazel agrees to funds for school principals

President of the National Primary Schools’ Principals’ Association (NPSPA), Patricia Waldron-Adams, and other members of the association met with Manning last week Friday to discuss several issues, including that of funding for primary schools.

At the meeting, held at the ministry’s St Clair offices, Waldron-Adams said they reiterated the call for one policy for both primary and secondary schools’ principals’ as it related to funding.

She said the minister agreed to accelerate the development of a system to direct funding to primary schools, and to have the necessary accountable and transparent procedures in place.

Earlier this month, the St George East Primary Schools’ Principals’ Association made the call for funding, saying primary schools got absolutely no money from Government while their colleagues at secondary schools got an annual allocation.

They had argued that the $3 billion allocated to the ministry was not reaching the students. The non-existent funds, they said, resulted in teachers being unable to deliver the curriculum effectively because of the need to organise and raise funds for school items.

Waldron-Adams said it was also agreed, at Friday’s meeting, that the system of channelling all funding through denominational boards will be reviewed. She said the review will be undertaken through a process of dialogue with the boards, so as to facilitate the principals to get direct funding. The St George Association had also accused the boards of withholding funds to the primary schools.

Other matters discussed at the meeting included the introduction of semi-specialists in the primary schools, the modernisation of school security, the acceleration of the information technology project, and the prompt distribution of furniture to schools.

Waldron-Adams said having met the minister, they were now seeking to meet with the Teaching Service Commission to discuss and deal with issues which are impacting negatively on the education process. Some of these issues, she said, included the excessive number of acting appointments in relation to principals and vice principals, and the need to fast track disciplinary matters.

On the former, Waldron-Adams said approximately 60-65 percent of principals and vice principals at primary schools are in acting positions.

She also said disciplinary matters are not dealt with on a timely basis, and cases often take between five to seven years to be determined.