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<span style="font-weight: bold">News Source: OTGNR - </span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Confirmed : Public Defender asking...Champs (RJR)...</span>
The Public Defender has stepped in to try and resolve the issue of athletes from seven schools being omitted from this year's Inter-Secondary Schools Association (ISSA)/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletic Championships due to late entries.Teams from St. George's College, Green Pond, St. Andrew Technical, Innswood, Norman Manley, Garvey Maceo and Morant Bay high are affected.Interestingly, Morant Bay was the drop off point their entries from schools in eastern parishes.The deadline for entries to be submitted was Thursday, March 10; however ISSA had extended the deadline to midday Friday, March 11. Public Defender Earl Witter says while he understands ISSA's decision taken based on principle and consistency, it is the students who will suffer because of the actions of others.He is asking ISSA to reconsider its decision."It can't be fair to the children to prejudice them or punish them or to blight their future prospects. Some of them are hoping to attract the attention of those who offer scholarships based on their performances (at Boys and Girls Champs). They mustn't be denied that because some principal or coach didn't do the right thing. I'm pleading with (ISSA) to reconsider and do the right things on their behalf," Mr. Witter said adding that ISSA should reconsider under certain conditions."Whoever is responsible, principals, coaches, masters, mistresses need to admit their wrong doing then tender a unqualified apology to ISSA, to their schools and in particular the athletes who they will have cause to be marginalized. What ISSA must do is lay down some sanctions which will proscribe even an attempt in future to put in late entries," The public Defender said.He noted that he has raised his concern about the matter with Andrew Holness, the Minister of Education and Nadine Molloy-Young President of the Jamaica Teachers' Association.He added that he had also tried to contact Walton Small, the President of ISSA to discuss the matter.
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Confirmed : Public Defender asking...Champs (RJR)...</span>
The Public Defender has stepped in to try and resolve the issue of athletes from seven schools being omitted from this year's Inter-Secondary Schools Association (ISSA)/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletic Championships due to late entries.Teams from St. George's College, Green Pond, St. Andrew Technical, Innswood, Norman Manley, Garvey Maceo and Morant Bay high are affected.Interestingly, Morant Bay was the drop off point their entries from schools in eastern parishes.The deadline for entries to be submitted was Thursday, March 10; however ISSA had extended the deadline to midday Friday, March 11. Public Defender Earl Witter says while he understands ISSA's decision taken based on principle and consistency, it is the students who will suffer because of the actions of others.He is asking ISSA to reconsider its decision."It can't be fair to the children to prejudice them or punish them or to blight their future prospects. Some of them are hoping to attract the attention of those who offer scholarships based on their performances (at Boys and Girls Champs). They mustn't be denied that because some principal or coach didn't do the right thing. I'm pleading with (ISSA) to reconsider and do the right things on their behalf," Mr. Witter said adding that ISSA should reconsider under certain conditions."Whoever is responsible, principals, coaches, masters, mistresses need to admit their wrong doing then tender a unqualified apology to ISSA, to their schools and in particular the athletes who they will have cause to be marginalized. What ISSA must do is lay down some sanctions which will proscribe even an attempt in future to put in late entries," The public Defender said.He noted that he has raised his concern about the matter with Andrew Holness, the Minister of Education and Nadine Molloy-Young President of the Jamaica Teachers' Association.He added that he had also tried to contact Walton Small, the President of ISSA to discuss the matter.