In the past months we had a putsch to intimidate and diminish church schools. This is not the first time, but now Minister of Education Senator Ruel Reid is on the trail himself. A modest principal before his elevation, he should know he needs the Church as its schools do better on every metric.

Surely Prime Minister Andrew Holness knows the first quality of a minister of education from the school room is track record and respect of peers? Recent attempts to take school funds is abuse of power, so the headline ‘Alumni contributions to church-run schools don’t belong to Gov’t — Baston’ ( The Gleaner, March 7, 2018) is a big bloody nose.

Recall, the scurrilous language he used about a top 10 school? Peeps say the attempt to veto board appointments of some who opposed him was vindictive. Why would a minister try to dis-appoint a winning board, say, at St Andrew High School for Girls, whose success makes him look good in UNESCO reports, Caricom, and in the media?

News of “a raft of insults and directives from the Ministry of Education which could undermine their (church) contribution to the sector” ( Sunday Gleaner March 4, 2018) is disconcerting. Sir, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

How is education aided if a minister malices his best schools? Jamaica has church schools and State schools and the partnership of church and ministry is power play, not true unity. The ministry gives our taxes to both types, and church schools excel, yet earn the minister’s wrath. Why? Reid’s State schools drag down the nation, so to punish top schools makes no sense. It saps morale, so an apology from him and a fresh start might help.

Government came late to schools for black kids. The Church was first. The Jamaican State opposed them and the British, via the Negro Education Grant, funded their schools to the chagrin of whites. Under pain of prison the Church gave black kids the same schooling as white kids in England from the same books. Inappropriate, but what else was there; did Africa send books? Jesus worked with his hands, and thus they trained our ancestors and British kids.

The irony is, black activists said they dissed blacks but Edward Seaga, who set up HEART to do the same, is praised, and now students who study practical things — electricity, welding, carpentry — get work and those with degrees in areas like media and theology suck salt! The world turns!

So what’s to be done vis-à-vis church and state schools? In 2014 the State had most and the next big owners were Anglicans, Catholics, Baptists, United Church, Methodists, and Moravians. Adventists have theirs and Rasta has music cash but build no schools for his kids — free ride?

A paper authored under Education Minister Ronald Thwaites has metrics on ownership, performance, and options — read it, Ruel! Church schools outperform State ones at secondary, primary, early childhood levels, so give it autonomy over its schools! Why does a minister cramp their board when State schools are the weak link? My Adventist cousins tell me their schools educate people to get jobs, find husbands, wives, live happily ever after! The State?

Our taxes pay for all schools so a minister must not use subventions to take revenge. Church people tithe more to help their schools, but what of the secular or Atheist faith? Reid should not hold back church schools to fit a common mediocrity. Sir, let State schools team with church schools, as St George’s College may mentor nearby Holy Trinity High. Frankly, the CEO, higgler, and “’ductor” want their kids in church schools, so Reid needs them more than they need him. So, who better to run schools?

What’s our future? Reid is in denial. We can’t get success with vitriol and cass-cass. Cabinet must ask Member of Parliament Nigel Clarke to engage faith groups before he gets tied up. Talk with bishops on governance; how to tweak transformation and lift State schools. The Church taught black kids and gave us sports championships long before the Ministry of Education (founded 1953). They used our taxes to bring the Church to its knees and many schools closed — shame! Yet church schools outperformed well-funded State schools. The rise of qualified illiterates, criminality, and corruption parallels the rise of State schools — was it the cause? State schools have not caught up, even with their new labs, foreign aid, or new schools with bells and whistles. Church schools still win!

Church schools have a body of good practice and their best stands with the global best! Sir, why go to Finland or Singapore when we do as well in maths, English in top schools? Support them to mainstream their magic in State schools. Let’s do this: First, don’t faff around, manage by results and, if a school delivers, don’t mess with it!

Second, let churches run their schools and thereby exit high cost and human abrasion as management by objectives and results means the ministry will focus on variance. Sir, the new American school or Hillel do well with “light touch” oversight, proactive parents, and benchmark to global norms, yet church schools have long pedigree; free them up! They are good value so empower them to incentivise staff who meet ministry targets by private fund-raising. This will not affect negotiated pay. Underperforming State schools under Reid’s direct control need his undivided attention as we will grade him on their 2019 results. Now, butt out of church schools! Stay conscious!

Franklin Johnston, D Phil (Oxon), is a strategist and project manager; fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (UK); and lectures in logistics and supply chain management at the Mona School of Business and Management at The University of the West Indies. Send comments to the Observer or franklinjohnstontoo@gmail.com.