Principal shocks by admitting school ‘bad’

The principal of a secondary school in San Fernando shocked guests at a graduation ceremony when she  admitted that her school is bad and the students are indisciplined. Faria Ali, principal of San Fernando Central Secondary stunned teachers, students and guests, who felt her comments were not appropriate on an occasion when children were celebrating their successes. Teachers said later that the school has had its fair share of indiscipline problems, but that was in the minority and the number of awards presented for excellence was testimony to this fact.

When Ali mounted the Naparima Bowl stage to deliver her first Principal’s Report on Friday, she spent several minutes focusing on the stress she suffered because of all the “bad things” happening at the numerous schools she has headed. The pomp and ceremony normally associated with a graduation were pushed aside as Ali spoke about a cache of weapons found in the cupboard of a school at Princes Town and her desire to “get out”. “I was formerly principal of Corinth Sixth Form College when that school closed down. It was one of the top performing A-Level schools in the south.

“I was promised a school of my choice, because from my understanding, it was the QRC of the south. But when the principal of Princes Town East died, I was forced to assume duties there. I was sick for six weeks with stress, thinking about all the bad things I heard about that school,” Ali said.  She added: “The day I opened the cupboard, I saw knives, cutlasses, scissors and other weapons. I almost fainted and I wanted to get out.” As guests sat in silence, Ali recounted how she eventually got transferred to San Fernando Central and thought it was a disciplined school. “But not so. This school is just as bad as that in Princes Town,” she declared.

Within the last school year, police had to be called into the school as students attacked a teacher. That matter is under investigation by the police and the Ministry of Education. The police have been holding regular meetings and lectures with the Parent/School Association to alleviate the problems of indiscipline. Ali said in her short tenure at Princes Town East she was able to arrest the discipline problems at the school and she is hoping to do the same at San Fernando Central. She said she has the co-operation of the deans and safety officers who are working tirelessly and are using a number of strategic approaches to improve the level of discipline. However, in spite of the negatives, Ali acknowledged that last September the school won six national scholarships. Four students also achieved top positions by subjects on the Merit List at the CAPE exam, while others excelled in various arts, culture and sporting activities.

Kefin Scott, placed first among 21 competitors in a national scholarship competition for talented teenagers and won a trip to New York. Together with Cherisse Fraser, Scott did the school proud in drama at San Fest and they will perform at the 15th Annual World Championship of Performing Arts scheduled for later this month in California, USA. Two Sixth Form students, Neola Nanan and Kadesha Downing, will represent the school at the Global Young Leaders in Washington DC, this month.