POINT, Hanover — The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth & Information’s Region One Director Ottis Brown has sounded the alarm over what he alleges are numerous accounting breaches in primary schools within Kingston and St Andrew.

“The breaches are too many. Here is what is happening now, colleagues. We are getting documents from the Integrity Commission (IC) for principals to be investigated… Accountability is stepping up,” he said.

Brown made the revelation, Tuesday, during the second of a three-day back-to-school conference for Region One that was held at Grand Palladium Hotel and Spa in Point, Hanover.

“Stakeholders in the communities are writing to the ministry. They talk about what they observe in schools. They go to a school and they get no receipt for the money they pay. They call you and ask if they should get a receipt and what it should look like,” he told an audience of educators.

The regional director said primary schools are the main offenders.

“Do you know where we tend to find the bulk of the breaches now? The primary schools. It’s a serious problem,” said Brown.

While he conceded that there may be administrative issues such as inadequate staff that impact how money is handled, he said there can be no excuse for some of the behaviour seen.

“Some simple things. Why would you keep money in excess of a million dollars locked up in a room for two, three weeks, months, and so forth? The bursar not being there caused that? So what I’m saying: I know you need those people, and we are working on that, but don’t do things to set up yourselves in the process,” added the senior officer.

Acting Chief Education Officer Terry-Ann Thomas Gayle in dialogue with senior parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information Marlon Morgan during Tuesday’s Region One Back-to-School Conference held at the Grand Palladium Hotel and Spa in Point, Hanover. (Photo: Anthony Lewis)

Brown used the opportunity to explain proper administrative procedures when handling school funds.

“I beg you, lodge the money in a reasonable time frame. Money must be lodged intact. Can somebody please explain what the FAA (Financial Administration and Audit) Act means when it says ‘money must be lodged intact’? ‘[It means as soon] as collected,” he emphasised.

He explained that if five $100-notes are collected, that exact configuration must be deposited into the account.

“Don’t use it to make any change for anybody who wants to pay somebody something. That is what they mean [by] to lodge the money intact. If you are guilty, don’t say anything. Just sit like nothing is wrong but pray a prayer in your heart. I’m giving you 30 seconds to ask God to forgive you,” stated Brown to an outburst of laughter.

“You saved the money, but the law says treat it a particular way,” added the senior officer.

During his address Brown also expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Education for providing the region with additional professionals to conduct audits of schools within the region.

“We want to publicly say thanks to the members of the central ministry team, our CEO, [and] the permanent secretary. We spoke and they have given us a large number of people to build out the finance unit in the region. I have about five or six additional staff members now so we can do more audits. Clap the central team for that,” he said magnanimously.