Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education, Audrey Sewell, yesterday told members of Parliament's Public Accounts (PAC) that a long list of schools have, for nearly a decade, failed to submit their annual financial statements.

Committee Chairman Dr Omar Davies said he was amazed that several leading institutions had been found wanting in that regard.

Central Kingston Member of Parliament Ronald Thwaites said the PAC should not tolerate flimsy explanations from technocrats but instead recommend that the Government get tough on the tardy institutions.

He suggested that the Government withhold subventions from schools which had a record of tardiness in presenting their financial statements.

"This committee should report to Parliament and say that, as drastic as it is, people cannot keep their jobs, board chairmen cannot continue their service, supervising education officers cannot continue to visit schools - unless the accounts are in the process of being brought up to date," Thwaites said.

System weak

Pressed for answers as to why the schools had been allowed to remain in delinquency for such a long time, Sewell said the ministry was unable to impose sanctions for non-compliance.

"Some schools have never submitted any reports, they are just tardy because the system of accountability may be very weak," she said.

However, she noted that the ministry had written to the schools and some board chairmen have responded by setting out timetables for submitting outstanding statements, while others have made contact to indicate that they would begin to get their houses in order.

She said the ministry has assigned an accounting officer to monitor the schools.