Dear Claudienne,

I want to commend you on the tremendous work that you have been doing by using your platform to highlight injustices done to ordinary Jamaicans. Thank you!

I have a 15-year-old nephew who used to attend a rural technical high school. I live in the United States, but I return to Jamaica every year for a period of time. My sister, who is his mother, also lives in the US, and an uncle, my brother, was his guardian. When I returned to the island in 2017, I was told that due to what can only be described as a personal vendetta, the principal told my nephew in October 2016 not to return to the school.

He is definitely not St Anthony and can be troublesome at times, but surely that doesn’t warrant expulsion.

My nephew told me of certain incidents that he believes were the reasons why he was told not to return to the school.

A paternal uncle of my nephew whose behaviour was bad had also attended the same school. It appears that the principal disliked my nephew because of the problems his uncle had caused at the school.

My nephew said that one day the principal saw him loitering in the corridor at a time when he should have been in class, and the principal ordered him to go to his class.

On the way to the classroom he was stopped by a friend, which he believes gave the principal the impression that he had no interest in his schoolwork. Following on this incident, he was required to register for every class he attended.

He attended his classes without further incident. But when he was recommended to play schoolboy football, the principal rejected him as a member of the team.

Now, my nephew was the best soccer player on the team, and the rejection killed his dreams. After that his punctuality and love for school diminished. However, because of how we had instilled in him the importance of a good education, he continued to attend school.

Then he told me that one morning when he tried to enter the school compound with only one epaulette on the shirt of his uniform he was refused entry, despite stating that it was his intention to buy the other epaulette when he got to the office.

He said that even though he was refused entry, he saw the female security guard allow two students with no epaulettes on their uniform to enter the school compound.

He was reported to the principal and when he went to his office, the principal ordered a male teacher to escort my nephew off the compound.

The principal also told him not to return to the institution.

That was the last time my nephew set foot on the school premises.

Please help me with this frustrating situation. I plan to go to the Ministry of Education (MOE) with the hope of getting some justice and a placement for him back in school. He’s sitting around every day wondering when he’s going to be able to go back to school.

EF

Dear EF,

We contacted the Chief Education Officer at the MOE, and the Regional Office was instructed to investigate the matter. When the Regional Office spoke with the school, they were told that your nephew was not given a dismissal letter. However, he became a member of a football club in another parish and was frequently absent from school in order to participate in the club’s practice sessions. As a result of his truancy, the school said that they requested his guardian to find another school for him to attend.

We note that at the same time that the MOE Regional Office was trying to find an alternative school to place your nephew, they also had a lengthy discussion with you and him.

Tell Claudienne further notes that he has also received counselling and began attending the new school in January 2018.

We hope that your nephew will settle down in his new surroundings.

All the best to you both.

Survey needed for land title

Dear Claudienne,

My grandmother died and left land for me in Wellington Park, St Ann. However, as she did not have a title, I asked the Land Administration and Management Programme (LAMP) project of the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry, Commerce and Fisheries to help me to get one.

The Ministry sent me to Geoland Title Limited to have the survey done, and for over a year the surveyor assigned to do it has been giving me the runaround. She has given me several dates but has never turned up.

I would appreciate your help in this matter.

ES

Dear ES,

Tell Claudienne has been in communication with Geoland Title Ltd. We note that the survey was done on December 14, 2017.

Good luck.

Have a problem with a store, utility or company? Telephone 936-9436 or write to: Tell Claudienne c/o Sunday Finance, Jamaica Observer, 40-42 1/2 Beechwood Avenue, Kingston 5; or email: edwardsc@jamaicaobserver.com