Monday, 8 September 2025

Media Persons Need To Allow Principals To Run Their Schools


Picture in the Jamaica Observer


There are people in the media, assisted by those individuals who see themselves as part of civil society, who are helping to destroy society. The picture above, shown in the Jamaica Observer dated September 8, 2025, brings this into sharp focus.

Over the past year, principals and teachers have had to be up against the dunce bag mentality and the glorification of some wutless dancehall artistes. Students have been idolizing many of these artistes who put the gun crimes and gangs on a pedestal. I am proud to say that former principal, Dr. Anke, who stood his ground against the 'Dunce Bag' philosophy, is a past student of mine. He said I was his mentor, and that was the greatest compliment paid to me by a guest on my radio show. He has since left the teaching profession.

Jamaica For Justice (JFJ and certain media houses ganged up against the principal of St. James High last year because he did what was right. He tried to get two kissing girls into other schools. We need to put our media houses in order before we tell educators how to run their schools.

Today, it was reported in the Jamaica Observer that the principal of Calabar did not allow some students to enter the school compound. The principal of Calabar High has not been declared an insane person. The principal must know what she is doing or she would not be the principal.

Some students do not go to school to learn and equip themselves to take on the challenges that lie ahead. If you turn up at the school not appropriately dressed and/or you are late, then one expects appropriate action to be taken. If you are not ready for school, then allow those who are ready to pursue their work and not be distracted by you. If you are not ready for work, you could lose that job and students should learn that from now.

Many media workers have nothing productive to do but to use their pens as weapons against those who are trying to build a society. Some media persons have been using their pens to undermine school administrations.

The most dangerous person to society is not an uneducated person but an educated person who has no respect for discipline and good order. Media personalities are known to glorify many dancehall artistes who have had a negative influence on our young people.

Parents, ensure that your child is ready for school. A school is a place for learning and helping your children to become good citizens. A school is not a holding area for some a oonu bad bruck pickney dem. 

The observer writers need to start educating their colleagues about aiming for higher standards in their work, rather than undermining school administrators. Tell your colleagues it is 'referendum' and not 'referandum'. Tell them the general elections were held on 'September 3', and not 'September 3rd'. Tell them the use of the phrase 'would have' is inappropriate when used most of the time. Tell them to reduce the level of popping in the microphones. Tell them to tell the news not to read the news but to tell it. Tell them to use the English language appropriately so the rest of us can learn from them.

Congrats to the Calabar principal for running a good school. Many of us cannot deal with a properly operated school, and we should start our own school.

Principal, if the parents and the society are not ready for a properly managed school, then you might need to find another job here in Jamaica or overseas. We need to deal with the myriad of challenges that citizens are facing. Leave the principals and their teachers to run the schools. 

I am probably too old to be giving my opinion because in a few years, our next governor general or our first president could be an ex-convict, and we will celebrate that achievement!



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8 comments:

  1. I fully endorse this article Mr Derby. I dont know why some media houses and politicians have been harassing school principals who are trying to inculcate discipline and good order in their schools. This is disgraceful and unacceptable. The parents must also share the blame for unleashing their unruly children upon the schools to contaminate others and spread disorder.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You're right Vernon. Next time the media should just ignore the news photo and drive past Calabar with the boys standing outside, even though the MOE says they shouldn't be locked out.

    ReplyDelete
  3. VERY WELL SAID MR DERBY!!
    Shoutout as well to the principal of St. Andrew High School for standing her ground against girls parading in school with the ghetto edges.

    Why yuh edges need fi long down pon yuh farrid and a touch yuh eyebrow?? It nuh look good man!

    Let’s uphold some sort of professionalism in schools, we are in fact preparing these young people to enter the workforce.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mr.Derby I endorse what you said one hundred percent. If you have more people speaking out as you did ,our schools would be better .Thank you Sir for using this medium to speak for a lot of us good thinking people

    ReplyDelete
  5. Blessings Mr Derby. I ran a small school in Jam and i only listened to the board and JTA. Leave the professionals to do their job.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dr Leslie Alcott Williams. The last comment was mine

    ReplyDelete
  7. The media houses have become a ghetto broad yard . My grandson went to Calabar and I am super proud of him.

    ReplyDelete
  8. There are a few things you stated that I find to be inconsistent and also problematic.
    1. You said "the principal was not declared an insane person. The principal must know what she is doing or she would not be the principal". Yet, there are other individuals that have not been declared to be of unsound mind that you are convinced, do not know what they are doing. Neither did it dawn on you that they must know what they are doing or they would not have been hired for the positions the hold.
    2. I believe breached are to have consequences but schools are there to educate so why is the punishment for being late for school to deprive them of more teaching and learning time by locking them out of the school.
    Is it that better late than never does not apply to students?
    What about the negative psychological effect that may have on some.
    If anyone should be locked out, and I don't think anyone should, it should be the teachers and staff members who are being paid by the taxes and the illegal' school fees, masterfully masked by the term CONTRIBUTION, yet followed by a specific figure that MUST BE PAID. Let them suffer the consequence of being bad professional examples for the students by turning up late to execute their invaluable service for which they constantly demand respect and higher salaries while objecting to the creation of a professional standards body.

    ReplyDelete

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