KINGSTON, Jamaica – Education and Youth Minister Fayval Williams, ahead of the start of the new school term next month, is reminding school principals that they should not turn away students from schools because of grooming issues.
Students barred from entering classes due to grooming issues (file Photo)She said principals must hold consultations with parents regarding the issue of students’ grooming.
“The issue of locks in schools, of wearing your natural hair, all of those are going to confront us come September 2. We are still insisting that no child should be locked out of school because of issues with dress and grooming.
“There ought to be a process in place within our schools for consultation, for talks with the students and their parents. We know that these are difficult situations in our schools, but I have every faith and confidence that together we can tackle those and have a successful school year,” she added.
During the 2023-2024 academic year there have been reports of students being barred from entering school compounds over issues ranging from the length of school uniforms for girls, and hairstyles of male and female students.
The Education Minister said that she has been urging parents to ensure that their children wear “simple hairstyles” to schools.
“I would have said this many, many times to parents, to please send their children to school with simple hairstyles so (that) there’s a balance,” she added.
She said there was also a need for a continued good partnership between her ministry and the Jamaica Teachers Association (JTA) saying that such relationship augurs well for the flourishing of the education sector.
“We are guided now by the Jamaica Education Transformation Commission Report, which is a very public report. It is on our website, and it has been laid in Parliament and in the Senate. It spells out in a very granular way all the recommendations that we should be implementing in order to improve the education system and education outcomes of our nation,” Mrs. Williams said.
She said the report consists of some 365 recommendations from stakeholders in the sector.
