There is uncertainty over what will happen at Steer Town Academy, St Ann, Monday when school re-opens for the Easter term.
There is a leadership void created by the resignation in December of the Board chairman Fabian Brown, following differences with the principal Omar Mongal, over how to deal with allegations of examination cheating at the school.
The school is embroiled in a controversy over cheating in the May-June schedule of the CSEC examinations administered by the Overseas Examination Commission (OEC),
The OEC wants to investigate reports it has, including from within the school, that organized cheating resulted in very high marks on some subjects in the examinations in June.
But there is now a stand-off between the Ministry of Education and the School’s administration, led by Principal Mongal, over how to proceed over the matter.
Mr Mongal says there was no cheating and, in fact, he has reports that Ministry staff have been setting up students to lie about it to put him and the school in a bad light.
The situation is made worse as the school has no Board to help give directions at this time.
The principal told parents, at a meeting last week, that he has not agreed to step aside on leave with pay or to remove himself from the school for the period of investigations, as suggested by the Ministry. He says he is going nowhere.
Insiders at the school tell the North Coast Times that several connected issues involving personalities could make the re-start of school, Monday, January 9, very problematic.
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