KINGSTON, Jamaica — Calabar High School is opposing a decision by the Inter-Secondary School Sports Association (ISSA) to give clearance to Arymanya Rodgers of Uganda to compete on behalf of Kingston College later this month.

The KC student is expected to compete in the 5000m Open and 1500m Class 2 events when the 2017 ISSA/ GraceKennedy National High Schools Athletics Championships, better known as Champ kicks off on Tuesday, March 28.

Calabar questioned the legitimacy of the decision in a release today and said it “sees this matter as an important ‘flashpoint’ especially in a country and society struggling to enforce the ‘rule of law’.

“Even more worrying is the fact that this decision was made by persons entrusted with the awesome responsibility of shaping our future generations.”

The secondary institution said the issue needs to be addressed because schools, which had experienced the ‘letter of the law’ approach taken by ISSA in the past, could easily feel hurt and angry.

It further argued that several Jamaicans who subscribe to the belief that it is certain people and not principles that ‘run yaad’ would reasonably question the legitimacy of the decision.

The school said, “It should therefore not come as a surprise that accusations of unfair bias, favouritism, etc, are running rampant.”

Calabar said it has written to ISSA, in keeping with the principle of fair play, to ascertain as much information relating to the boy’s clearance; however they have not “been favoured with a response”.

The absence of a resonse, Calabar added, “has only served to deepen the perception of ISSA being a body which considers itself to be above critique or accountability.”

The school said it has no issue with Kingston College and by extension “shall do nothing that would make the student a victim of circumstances not of his own creating”. However it argued that the non-response by ISSA has left them to make a few assumptions.

It said the question of the child’s eligibility is moot as he is ineligible based on ISSA’s clearly stated and enunciated criteria.

Calabar further stated that adding the notion he was registered before arrival, while capitalising on a common misinterpretation of what it means to be registered, is wholly inaccurate.

“To be promised, offered, granted a space in an institution isn’t the same thing as being registered. In fact, the Ministry of Education’s Policy is that a student cannot be registered in absentia. The parent may be absent for registration but not the student!” the school argued.

The school further stated that the decision was based on factors deemed extenuating, adding that it would be most helpful if ISSA articulated some of these factors and juxtaposed them against other instances in which they failed to apply this discretion.

Calabar said it lauds the “milk of human kindness”, which may have prompted ISSA’s demonstration of flexibility and discretion, features that have been notably and stridently absent from their modus operandi for several years.

However, it argued that it is precisely this apparent departure from its usual operational practices that has led to much unease and disquiet among them and many other schools and stakeholders.

It said that it ought to have been abundantly clear to the small group of decision makers (the Executive Committee) that their action would have caused much debate, accusations, hurt and even anger, adding that “unpacking those emotions ought to be unnecessary”.

Not allowing the student to participate at the 2017 Champs could never be seen as blighting the student’s future or his development since as a Class 2 athlete he would have a minimum of three more years to ‘strut his stuff’, Calabar said.