MSS Children walking from School
Last Friday, June 18, saw a first at the Montserrat Secondary School (MSS) where all children were denied transportation after school and sent walking, following an incident when following an incident in which the conductress of the school bus service was doused with water.
The order came from Principal Cherlin Hogan after she held a general assembly in an effort to discover who committed the act of throwing water at the conductress. When no one would either come forward or pointed out, she determined that no one would ride the bus home that Friday afternoon.
The children, some irate were seen in the large numbers walking orderly and in lines, but chanting, no doubt for the benefit of the media who happened upon the action as we slowly drove by, “…this a wan wicked woman… Mrs. Hogan let awe walk, just because awe wet down Nanbaga, this a wan wicked woman. School gone wild,” several, boys and girls, said almost in chorus, gesticulating with their arms in the air showing varying forms of aggravation and irritation.
The children explained that there was ‘water fight’ (playing with plastic bags of water and throwing at one another), following their participation in their clean-up of the school premises for the ‘Clean as a whistle’ project. “Dem wet down Miss Nana at the school, so miss Hogan tell everybody fu walk. See what a cruel lady like that. Miss Nan de bus conductor, and dem let everybody walk…she is a wicked woman, she must get fired, she bad minded, she wicked,” they said with one student shouting, “I want this live over ZJB in the morning, live,” recognising that they were being taped.001_FOLDER01_040_Children – wicked woman_10061802_2010_06_18_02_39_10061802
The principal confirmed her action by ordering no bus service. She expressed disappointment that no one would identify the culprit or culprits in the ‘water throwing act’. She said the conductress was unable to point out who committed the act.
Miss Nan (the conductress) told The Montserrat Reporter (TMR) that she was moving along the street below the school when she was repeatedly doused with water by the students above in the school premises.
One irate parent later called TMR. She gave the same information we were privy to, and said, that she had spoken to the principal and Director of Education, the latter saying that they will stand by the principal.
She said she asked the principal, “…what if something were to happen to a child, walking all the way from there to Lookout?” and the principal responded, “Well,” and nothing further.
The parent’s comment to that was “That is terrible.”
