Sealy: I sent home 100 students

Graydon Sealy. (FP)

Fri, October 19, 2012 - 12:07 AM

Matthew Farley isn’t the only principal of the Graydon Sealy Secondary School who had to send home students for uniform breaches.

The man, after whom the school was named, told the WEEKEND NATION yesterday that he also had to send students home for similar reasons shortly after he took up the reins of the school.

Graydon Sealy said in 1976, about a year after the school had been opened, he had to send home 100 students from the then Garrison Secondary School, because they were not wearing the correct brown school shoes.

“We had met in Parent-Teacher Association [PTA] meetings and agreed with what the school requires, brown shoes . . . . We urged the parents to please try and cooperate with us. We knew there could be some difficulties with shoes, for instance, and a parent may not be able to get a new pair of shoes in a week or whatever.

“We asked them please when there is a problem to send the child to school. If it is not in the correct uniform, the prescribed uniform, send it to school still with a letter asking that the child be excused. We wanted the child to be at school,” he said, noting it was the only time he had to take such action. (CM)

Please read the full story in today’s WEEKEND NATION, or in the eNATION edition.

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Posted by Sol Fish 8 months ago: Kids being sent home based on trivial nonsense, as a store owner many companies make the same product, every company have their own version of that particular color, even though it is red there are many shades of red, many customers come and start demanding every product be the same color, Sorry I don't manufacture any product, These kids nor their parents manufacture these shoes or uniforms, they just purchase what is sold in the store, and if the various versions of the color brown is a life or death situation, basic common sense is surely lacking here, if principles want to hold steadfast to their narrow mindedness, its time they stock the kids uniform, shoes etc, make sure measurements are correct at time of purchase, a spectrometer to make sure colors are correct, do this before the school term starts. Each day, rather than educate the children, put them up against the wall measure their pants and dresses, check each color make sure everything is correct before class begins if it ever does. I'm very happy these lunatics were not around to teach me and my forefathers, in the 50's, 60's and early 70's, because many of our lawyers, doctors, politicians and civil servant, would still be cutting cane, digging up the ground, or in a rum shop liming, a lot of these people went to school barefooted wearing their fathers or bigger brothers' old pants. The mantra from that era, "Education for every boy and girl, no matter what your social standing, poverty or Impoverished by every means necessary" none of us were sent home because of "dress codes" only if we were caught stealing, or heads were too hard to learn anything, and guess what, Barbados became regarded worldwide as one of the most literate places on the planet earth, the envy of many bigger nations, we did it without measuring pants length or dresses, or shoe color, the color of our skin denied many of an education in the past, now its the color of your shoes, or the length of your skirt.

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Posted by Belle Brewster 8 months ago: There was a time in Barbados when parents could not afford shoes and children went in slippers or without. I am in no way condoning a blatant disregard of the rules but there are times when you just have to let some things go. A few year ago a teacher called me in week six of the new academic year to say that my child was wearing the "wrong socks". My answer was that the child was wearing white socks that fit above the ankle (school rules) and rather than waste her time and mine with trivial matters she should do the job the the government of Barbados employed her to do, and that is to educate. The child wore these socks for the entire school year and she had no behavioural problems, doesn't take drug, has no criminal record and is well adjusted despite wearing the "wrong socks".
I still question what happens to these children when they are sent home and how affects their education.

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Posted by Mr Psychotic 8 months ago: Thanks for supporting the principal (unlike perhaps some of his colleagues). I knew there had to be a back story to this situation. Oftimes parents and children are repeatedly warned about uniform violations, but wait to see what will be done....and then pretend that the action came upon them suddenly.

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Posted by C Alex 8 months ago: ......and that's why Ms Belle Brewster that rules shouldnt be broken - dont matter how inane the parent thinks it may be - because it shows favoritism when the "good kids" are not reprimanded. Yes , the children are there to learn but at that age they need structure and limits, some more than others and the principals have to sweep with a broad brush first before they can consider individual circumstnaces.

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Posted by Sol Fish 8 months ago: Parent: How come my duncey daughter did so good in school this term?
Mr Sealy: Her shoes passed with flying colors! her color IQ is spot on. those shoes are destined to to take her to the top of the class.