Committee to decide on primary school entry forms

A committee comprising representatives of the Ministry of Education and denominational boards is to be set up to decide on a form for the admission of students into the primary school system.

Education Minister Anthony Garcia made the announcement yesterday after meeting with representatives of the boards to address the issue. He said it is hoped that the new form, when conceptualised, “would meet the concurrence of everyone.”

The major objective of the existing form, he said, was to prevent parents from having to line up as early as 4 am on any given day in an effort to have their children admitted to schools.

“The boards were also concerned about this and they pledged that everything will be done so that their principals will be instructed to ensure that this does not happen and that practice is no more,” Garcia said, describing the meeting as fruitful.

“The meeting ended on a very cordial note and we are happy to know that we have pledged to work together in the interest of education, because we understand that we have a Concordat which this ministry and this government intend to hold fast to and the tenets of the Concordat will always be observed by this government.”