Keril Wright, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU -
THE MINISTRY of Education admits it has made an error in the placement of some students through the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT).
The Sunday Gleaner has learned that several students attending primary and junior high institutions, who did not perform well in the GSAT, were being sent to schools of similar status elsewhere.
The blunder, which has brought the Ministry under fire from school principals, involves students from Bethel Town Primary and Junior High in Hanover, Flankers Primary and Junior High in Montego Bay, St. James, Cross Primary and Junior High in May Pen, Clarendon, and Moneague Primary and Junior High in Mandeville, Manchester.
"Where the child's score is not sufficient to move him or her to a high school, then the child would remain at the school he or she is attending," Edwin Thomas, spokesperson for the Ministry, explained to The Sunday Gleaner last week. "Obviously errors were made."
According to Mr. Thomas, the Ministry had not been made aware of the problem through the schools or the parents of students attending them.
It was only when The Sunday Gleaner made queries that the Ministry became aware a problem existed. The Sunday Gleaner had sent the names of two schools to the Ministry, as those schools were among those where the problem surfaced.
"We (then) made checks with the schools and they have confirmed that the students were placed at other primary and junior high schools," Mr. Thomas said.
Mr. Thomas seemed baffled as to the cause of the problem.
"I don't know how this error occurred," he said. "However, if it is a result of improper computer coding, then that can be corrected. It is persons from the computer department who will be able to identify the problem. But if the parents are prepared for the children to remain at the school (their current school), then that should be allowed. However, if they don't have a problem, sending them to the new school, then they could do that also."
According to Orlette Mon-crieffe, vice principal of the Bethel Town Primary and Junior High, three of her students are slated to attend Cascade Primary and Junior High. The problem, she added, was not just surfacing, but was also prevalent in 1999.
"This also happened last year," she said. "We had a few children who were placed at other junior high schools. I don't understand this type of placement. I can't see why they would want to move a child from a junior high school and send him or her to a similar school."
She explained that, so far, one parent had asked the school to allow the child to remain there.
Similarly, Hugh Miller, principal of Flankers Primary and Junior High, reported that a student from his school was placed at Albion Primary and Junior High in the same parish.
Mr. Miller, who admitted to being perplexed by the placement, told The Sunday Gleaner that last year a student from Albion was also placed at Flankers.
"I suppose this is just hiccups from last year," he said. "It is certainly not logical. As a matter of fact all it does is incur expenses for these parents."
According to the principal, a child who lives in Flankers and has to attend the school in Albion will have to pay four different bus fares, in addition to finding lunch money and new school uniforms.
Four students from Cross Junior High have been placed at other primary and junior high schools, while Moneague Pri-mary and Junior High has reported one student in that situation.
According to, Yvonne Wilson, a teacher at Moneague, it is the parents who will be adversely affected.
"Some of the parents won't even bother to see if this is a mistake," she said. "They get so excited once they hear the child has been placed that some will just go ahead and send the child to this new school."
