A group of parents is pressing ahead with legal action against the Government and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) over the controversial IDB-administered survey that collected sensitive information from hundreds of secondary school students without parental consent.Human and gender rights activist Felicia Dujon, who is leading the challenge, disclosed on Friday that her team has secured the services of a senior attorney who is working on the matter.Reporting that many parents have come forward seeking representation, Dujon declared there would be no turning back from their position that the Government and IDB should pay for breaches of the rights of parents/guardians.“We are not silent, we are working in the background, but you can indicate that it is currently a legal matter…,” she said in an interview with Barbados TODAY.
Education authorities meet with BUT, parents, staff at Belmont Primary School
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The back and forth, uncertainty and frustration that students, teachers, ancillary staff and parents have been experiencing due to the ongoing saga at Lawrence T. Gay Memorial School have to come to an end.Over the years, students and teachers have complained of a pungent, gaseous smell that was causing them headaches, burning throat sensations, burning eyes and/or itchy skin.The school problems go back years. In recent times, the school was closed in 2019. Then in January 2020, just before the March outbreak of COVID-19, the students were relocated to various churches where classes were conducted.The ministry has to make a serious decision about the future if the physical plant continues to be plagued by a foul odour. Notwithstanding the numerous tests and cleanings conducted on the premises, the odour continues to affect the school.
Today, the wrath of citizens in and outside Barbados has been consistent. They are not satisfied with the apologies and explanations that have been offered. They want action, which they believe is commensurate with the harm and embarrassment that the matter has caused to students and parents, as well as the island’s image.Barbadians believe that innocent 11 and 12-year-old school children were exploited by representatives of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) who said they “inadvertently” retained questions in the “pretest” which the Ministry of Education said it requested be removed. The Ministry’s high command, for their part, admitted that no one checked to confirm the questions were removed, taking the word of the IDB that their request had been actioned.Parents are still upset that not only was information collected on the youngsters but also on them, all this with no permission.It has become one hot and messy saga, with so many questions still unanswered. Among
Both Education Minister Kay McConney and Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw should be suspended while a public enquiry is conducted into how the controversial Computer Science test was administered in local schools.That is the view of human rights advocate Felicia Dujon, who is also imploring parents of students affected by the test to bring a class action lawsuit against the Government.Dujon, a lecturer in Philosophy at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, has contended that even though apologies were tendered by McConney, Dr Archer-Bradshaw and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), for their mistakes which led to 733 11-year-olds being questioned about their sexuality and gender identity, there was a need for an investigation.She told Barbados TODAY it meant that both the minister and the Chief Education Officer should be “placed on leave” until those investigations were completed.“Parents should request a public enquiry into the matter becau
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