By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

AS thousands of students return to public schools today, at least 10 schools are without principals and others have no vice principals, with education officials scrambling to fill leadership vacancies caused by early retirements, promotions and other circumstances.

Education Director Dominique McCartney-Russell confirmed that some schools remain without principals and vice principals, although she did not say how many were affected or identify them. Bahamas Union of Teachers president Belinda Wilson identified ten schools she said were without principals: TG Glover Primary School, Sister Mary Patricia Russell Junior High School, Freeport Primary School, Cleveland Eneas Primary School, Columbus Primary School, Palmdale Primary School, Rolleville Primary School, Crooked Island High School, Burnt Rock Primary School and Gregory Town Primary School.

Mrs Wilson questioned how schools could be expected to succeed without a principal in place on the first day of the academic year, arguing that teachers were expected to deliver lessons while the Department of Education had failed to ensure leadership was in place.

“The principal is the individual who sets the vision and the goals for the school year,” Mrs Wilson said. “The Department of Education must know that leadership starts with them.”

Mrs McCartney-Russell said education officials had submitted requests to the Ministry of Public Service for principals and vice principals to fill vacant posts and were making every effort to have appointments made as quickly as possible.

She said officials could not predict early retirements, illnesses or resignations.

“When such vacancies arise,” she said, “we respond promptly and take the necessary steps to ensure that suitable replacements are identified and appointed as quickly as the system permits.”

In the meantime, Mrs McCartney-Russell said the ministry would reassign and deploy available officers to minimise disruption and maintain effective school operations.

Bahamas Educators Managerial Union president Stephen McPhee said on Friday that seven primary schools in New Providence were without principals. He also said vacancies existed in Cat Island, Long Island, Andros, Exuma, Acklins and Mayaguana.

“We have a number without vice principals,” Mr McPhee said. “We've been fighting and pushing for these schools, especially in family islands, to have vice principals for some time now.”

Checks by The Tribune, however, found that some schools in islands Mr McPhee identified continued to have principals.

Dr Bennique Brown-Pratt, principal of Old Bight High School, said all schools on Cat Island had principals, including Arthur’s Town Comprehensive School, Old Bight Primary School and Old Bight High School.

Dr Brown-Pratt said officials on the island were prepared for the start of the academic year.

In Mayaguana, a parent whose children attend Mayaguana Comprehensive School, the island’s only school, said an acting principal was in place but there was no vice principal.

The mother also raised concerns about repairs being carried out only weeks before the school reopened, saying the work should have been completed before students returned.

“Up to yesterday,” she said, “we still had to do the brushing out of sheetrock dust, cement dust, scraping joint compound off the floor, and I think these things should be done.”

She said classrooms and student bathrooms were in good condition, but work was still needed elsewhere on the campus.

Mr McPhee linked longstanding management problems in the public education system to concerns about student performance following the release of this year’s national examination results.

Education officials announced last week that only about one in three candidates who sat five or more BGCSE subjects earned at least five C grades or better, though the overall A-D pass rate increased slightly to 71.49 percent.

Mr McPhee said leadership vacancies could affect academic performance and the learning environment, particularly in the Family Islands, where he estimated about 90 percent of schools did not have a vice principal.

“Not only are we putting unnecessary load on teachers,” Mr McPhee said, “but then if these persons don't have the necessary experience, not skill set, but the necessary experience to lead a school by going through the senior master, vice principal post, then these are things that contribute to some of the concerns nationally.”

Mr McPhee said BEMU members were frustrated by problems he described as longstanding, but despite low morale, were expected to report to school today.

The union is scheduled to hold a general meeting tomorrow.