St James High School stakeholders reportedly upset over retention of chairman
Published:Tuesday | March 25, 2025 | 12:10 AMAdrian Frater/Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
A cloud of concern yesterday hung over St James High School, in Montego Bay, as staffers on the morning shift turned up to find the school’s gates padlocked and police personnel present on the compound.
While it could not be ascertained who padlocked the gates, indications are that it was done by people aggrieved by a letter from the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, dated March 19, confirming the retention of Christopher McCurdy as the chairman of the school board. McCurdy has been in a protracted, acrimonious relationship with the school’s principal, Joseph Williams.
According to the letter, over the signature of Dr Kasan Troupe, the permanent secretary in the education ministry, having examined the issues which saw McCurdy and Williams coming close to blows on February 24, when the former showed up uninvited to a staff meeting, the ministry plans to take steps to resolve the “conflicts and find closure”.
Stated Troupe’s letter: “An experienced mediator has been identified and is being engaged to facilitate the process as soon as possible. In the meantime, the school’s Board of Management should continue to perform its normal functions in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements.”
However, teacher Eva Gayle, the academic staff representative on the school board, said Troupe’s letter was surprising.
PETITION DISREGARDED
Gayle said that, based on a meeting the school’s stakeholders had with officials from the education ministry and the submission of a petition signed by more than 90 stakeholders including academic staff, ancillary staff, students, past students, and parents, asking that McCurdy not be reappointed, they were led to believe that his appointment would be revoked.
“We have 85 of the 115 teachers signing the petition asking for the removal of the chairman,” said Gayle. “We were given an assurance at the meeting that his appointment would be withdrawn, so we feel deceived by this latest action of the Ministry of Education.”
According to Gayle, in a letter dated October 22 last year, which was endorsed by the various stakeholders at the school, three months before the showdown between Williams and McCurdy, the staff had written to the Ministry of Education, asking that McCurdy not be reappointed when the life of that board expired in December 2024.
Among the accusations against McCurdy in the letter was that he had an “inability to move the school forward”, and a “lack of empathy”.
SITUATION UNTENABLE
Regarding the Ministry of Education’s plans to go the mediation route, Gayle was dismissive of the idea, saying the situation had become untenable and that she believed the most suitable solution would be the removal of McCurdy, who she said did not enjoy the confidence of stakeholders.
“We believe this chairman does not understand his role as chairman and, if he remains here, the situation will not change. He needs to go,” said Gayle.
Williams also expressed some frustration with the situation, saying that allowing the contentious issues to linger on was negatively impacting the students and harmony at the school.
“Our academic performance over recent years has been quite good. We are now the envy of some of the more established schools in the region. This kind of distraction is threatening our continued success, and the ministry needs to help us to create the conditions that we can continue to succeed,” said Williams.
Repeated attempts to locate McCurdy for a comment proved futile as the contact numbers provided for him rang without answer. However, during his February 24 spat with Williams, he was heard telling Williams that, “you are not fit to be a principal”.
The chairmen of government schools are recommended by the members of parliament in the constituency, where the school is located. The Ministry of Education generally ratifies the recommendations. In McCurdy’s case, his recommendation would have been made by St James Central MP Heroy Clarke.