The Principal of Steer Town Academy in St Ann says he and four teachers have not been sent on leave over allegations regarding cheating in recent external examinations.
Omar Mongal, Principal of the secondary school in Steer Town near St Ann’s Bay, denied that there was orchestrated cheating at the school during the exams.
The overseas examinations Council (OEC) says it is to investigate that there was widespread cheating at the school in some papers in the May/June CSEC examinations.
In a meeting with dozens of parents Thursday morning, January 5, Mr Mongal discussed some of the allegations about cheating that were said to be responsible for high levels of performance in CSEC subjects at the school.
Mr Mongal said there were attempts by persons in the Ministry of Education to get false reports or even pay for inaccurate information to implicate him and the school.
He said he and four teachers, identified in news reports, had not been sent on leave. He said the school’s board Chairman had offered them to “recuse” themselves for investigations to take place. He said he was not doing that. Mr Mongal said the Chairman said the other option was for them to be sent on paid leave for the period of the investigations.
It is not clear what the status of the four teachers and Mr Mongal is and whether they would be at school on Monday, January 9.
Here is Mr Mongal addressing parents, Thursday in Steer Town:
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