THE EDITOR, Sir:

I HAD the opportunity to speak to a principal of a technical high school in recent weeks. Our dialogue covered the area of discipline in his school which, to my observation, has taken a wrong turn at the intersection as it relates to discipline.

When asked about the retention of students who repeatedly commit acts of indiscipline, activities that include being found with offensive weapons (knives, machetes), hard drugs, truancy and disrespect to himself and other teachers, his response was to make reference to the Geneva Convention as it relates to the individual child's right to an education. His opinion was that regardless of the child's indiscretions, the child has a right to remain in same school and complete his education.

While I do not dispute the individual's right to an education, I have a problem. I know that I have the right to move freely within Jamaica; however, if I should commit murder, I will be summarily incarcerated, thus losing that right of freedom of movement. To substantiate his misguided point, he made reference to an incident at a high school in the parish of St. Mary, where a male student used a stone to hit a male teacher, who was hospitalised. Upon the teacher's return to school, the student was also back at school after a period of suspension. A few days after, he slashed the tyres on the teacher's vehicle and was expelled from school. With the intervention of the Minister of Education, the student was ordered reinstated to the institution.

I ask the question, are these principals lackeys and puppets? Do they not have a voice of their own? Are they afraid to object to these dictates?

I am, etc.,

H. LYNCH CAMPBELL

St. Ann's Bay