More calls for resignation of Education Minister Kay McConney

Calls for the resignation of Minister of Education Kay McConney continued on Saturday during a march by scores of Barbadians in wake of Wednesday’s fiasco at Springer Memorial Secondary School.

About 100 people took part in the march including representatives from Unity Workers’ Union (UWU), Barbados Concerned Citizens Group, the Steering Committee and Watch Out My Children group.

The march started in Fontabelle St Michael, near Kensington Oval, advanced through The City and ended at Independence Square.

After the march, head of UWU Caswell Franklyn told the media that McConney should be held accountable for the incident that took place at the Government Hill, St Michael, school earlier this week.

“Everybody knows it is complete stupidity, it is madness, it is incompetence, all of those words suit it and more. Somebody should pay for it and normally when something as serious as this happens, a minister should go,” he said.

“The only minister that should go is the Minister of Education but we have not heard from her. If she doesn’t come out and say something like we are sorry that this happened and I tender my resignation, then the Prime Minister should fire her; there’s no excuse for it. In any other democracy and something like this happens, a minister would have taken responsibility for it, only in Barbados you can do what you like,” he said.

In a statement Wednesday evening, Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw said the ministry was aware that a security drill was to take place at the school but did not know the nature of the event.

Meanwhile, Franklyn said that “if they say that they don’t know what’s going on, they have fallen down and their duty … you are negligent,” adding that the Ministry should have had a security policy in place before the simulation was executed.

Human rights activist and third vice-president of the Democratic Labour Party Felicia Dujon also said McConney should step down from her post and urged parents to make their voices heard on what occurred at Springer.

“We are urging the government to ensure that whatever legislation is being passed, that the state is held accountable when they violate the rights of children, when they infringe on the rights of parents.

“The reality is what happened at the Springer School is a deep seated concern that this is a government that is not interested in parental rights, it is not interested in children’s rights. The reason being when matters like that do happen, we expect parents to be notified, we expect to give their consent and in this case, we are seeing again the Ministry of Education through the Minister and the Chief Education Officer conducting various types of simulations that induces violence, that use weapons, whatever weapons that they choose to use. But at the same time, they were telling our children that they are able to be used as guinea pigs and then they can get counselling for it,” she maintained.

Dujon said the incident was a breach of child rights and it was not the first time the rights of the nation’s youth were compromised by Government.

“The time is now to request that the Minister of Education resign from her post and if you do not wish that she resigned, then we have to take the Prime Minister to charge. It is your responsibility to ensure that anyone that you put in the responsibility of the care of our children, that they are responsible and they are held accountable for any mishaps, for any harm, whether it’s physical or psychological that they have to face the consequences. We are not accepting any more apologies.

“The first instance, you harm them through the survey. This instance, children suffered physical and psychological pain. What more do you want? For our Children to die in their care? We are calling again for the Minister of Education. We believe that you have breached the rights of children, that you have breached the safety in school and that we request that you do what is ethical and withdraw from your position as the Minister of Education,” she said.

As it relates to the march turnout, Franklyn said that while he was satisfied with the numbers, he believed more people would have participated had they not been afraid to make a stand publicly due to victimisation.

(SZB)