Two sixth form students of the St Catherine High School in Spanish Town leave the school's compound yesterday, after a meeting to discuss the suspension of the entire upper sixth form. The students are expected to return to classes today. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

The entire upper sixth form at St Catherine High School is expected back in classes today after serving a five-day suspension for disparaging comments made about the principal by a group of students.

Chairman of the school board, Lascelles Williams, told the Observer that the matter had been resolved amicably and all the parties involved were satisfied.

"We have come to a reasonable solution. The parents, the students and the teachers are all satisfied and the students are back in class," Williams said after a lengthy meeting at the school yesterday. The meeting was attended by school administrators, the more than 70 sixth formers and their parents. The principal, Joan Mills, did not attend the meeting.

Most of the parents and students were cautious about speaking to the Observer and those who did refused to be identified.

"We got a letter saying that we were suspended until further notice," one of the students explained. "What happened was that a group of students made bad remarks about the headmistress, and her son, who is also a student, heard the remarks and told her. Miss Mills then suspended the entire upper sixth form."

Another student, who was among those suspended, said: "This is what you call a summary execution. Our parents work very hard to send us to school and the cost of one A-level subject and sixth form on a whole is heavy on their pockets. For the school to send us home over something as silly as this is just not fair."

One parent was visibly upset that his son had spent a week out of school for what he thought was a trivial reason. "Teenagers are known for their uncanny ability to pull pranks," he said. "Every one of us went to school and we all were not saints... it is hard to swallow knowing it was because of the whim of a head teacher that caused him to lose out on a week in school."

Some of the students and their parents, on the other hand, were of the opinion that the issue was an internal one and the media had no place in the affairs of the school.

One female parent threw a tantrum and shouted: "They don't come yesterday when the school flood out or when the students go to Africa, but one little thing and them come to blow it up."

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