Private school may be shut down

THE EXPRESS School, the private institute operating from the Clock Tower Plaza, Half-Way Tree, could soon find itself shut down by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture.

Information Officer at the Ministry, Edwin Thomas, told The Gleaner yesterday that officials there are looking at what action could be taken against the school, which is not registered with the Independent Schools Division and is also being investigated by the Fraud Squad.

"The school has to come forward and decide if it's going to seek registration. It hasn't sought that, and therefore the option is that the Ministry is examining whether and under what conditions it should be closed down," he told The Gleaner.

Independent schools are supposed to be registered under a code of regulations set out by the Ministry, Mr. Thomas said.

The Express School was recently embroiled in controversy over the alleged non-payment of students' examination fees to the Overseas Examinations Office, which reportedly caused some students not to be able to sit examinations administered by overseas bodies. Reports to the Ministry about the matter were handed over to the Fraud Squad. Last week, the Ministry distanced itself from the institution, noting that its programmes had also not received assessment or accreditation from the Ministry.

It further advised persons conducting business with Express School that it could not be held accountable if the school did not deliver any programme or service that it promised.

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