The Ministry of Education is, quite understandably, very shy about interfering or appearing to interfere with church-run schools, even when they operate with substantial support from the government’s coffers.

In this regard, the current Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) administration has not departed from the approach by the previous People’s National Party (PNP) administrations.

It is clearly a not unexpectedly ‘ticklish’ matter, as evidenced by the dispute at The Queen’s School over the selection of a new headmistress. Or put another way, the failure to appoint the acting headmistress, on denominational grounds. The Queen’s School is run by the Anglican Diocese.

This is by no means an isolated case, and even though church control of schools has been gradually diminishing, is not one which is going to disappear overnight. Similar problems have surfaced at Kingston College, another Anglican-run school, to cite a well known example.

In the present case, Ms Carole Jackson is said to have been passed over for headmistress for someone else, after acting for the last two years in the capacity, and previously serving as vice-principal for 10 years.

Protesters, though few in number, insist that Ms Jackson is fit and properly qualified for the job and claim that the decision is based on denominational considerations, because she is not of the Anglican persuasion.

We do not weigh into the issue to tell anybody what to do in resolving the dispute but moreso to draw attention to a matter which is likely to keep recurring in our scheme of democratic governance.

There is great sentiment on the side of the church because of its glorious past in bringing education to the Jamaican masses, long before the government could. Hence, there is reluctance to break with hallowed tradition in which many churches still have a big say in how schools, even when financed by the State, are run.

It may well be a case of if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Church-run schools have worked for the large part, which is perhaps why the education ministry allows then to pick the principal in several cases, including The Queen’s School.

Still, the idea that someone who has served well and is qualified can’t make the cut because of denominational considerations, is increasingly being frowned upon.

It is difficult to explain why, for example, Ms Jackson can serve for two years as acting headmistress and 10 years as vice-principal, but is suddenly not acceptable as principal.

Part of the difficulty is that the Anglican Diocese, as against the Seventh-day Adventists, is seen to be more democratic and even liberal in its outlook.

Furthermore, the Anglicans are part of the ecumenical-minded Jamaica Council of Churches, and unless Ms Jackson is an atheist or a member of a non-Christian religion — in which case she should not have been appointed to act as headmistress — there is little reason, on the surface, to now reject her application.

We need to have the conversation about criteria for principals and to decide whether those criteria should include partisan considerations, including church membership.