13 year old standard 5 student, Ash-Lynne Young today spent her eleventh day in the Principal's Office at Holy Redeemer Upper Division.
As we reported last night, the young lady is there because her mother refused to let her sell soft drinks for the school and the school administration responded by keeping her out of class. Now lawyers have been retained to sort out the mess.
But while the adults jostle, this child is being denied her education and the Ministry of Education says that's wrong. Chief Education Officer Maude Hyde has written to the school management requesting that she be put back into the classroom. But even though the state pays all the school's bills, it can't dictate to the church run schools. Today at the education summit Hyde told Keith Swift as much.
Maud Hyde, Chief Education Officer
"I think it just indicates the need for us to work more closely with our managing authorities, with our school system to ensure that incidents like these don't happen again."
Keith Swift,
"Is there any way we can ensure Ash-Lynne returns to class?"
Maud Hyde,
"We will certainly try to do from our side the best we can because as you said it is a child being out of school and from our end we will continue to talk to the management. We will ensure that as soon as possible the child goes back to school."
Keith Swift,
"In the letter you sent to the school you requested Ash-Lynne's reinstatement in class but you didn't order it, is there anything else your ministry can do?"
Maud Hyde,
"I think I do have faith in the working relationship between the Ministry and the managing authorities and I don't think it is a situation where you need to order anybody; it is a situation for reasoning and I think that works better rather than trying to enforce laws."
And what do you think? Should Ash-Lynne Young be penalized for not selling the school's soft drinks? You can register your opinion in ouronline poll.