SCHOOL RULES and regulations serve an important function and must be followed and enforced.

That's the word from president of the Barbados Secondary Teachers' Union, Mary Redman, in support of principal Matthew Farley, who last Monday suspended about 200 Garrison Secondary third to fifth form girls for non-compliance with the school's deportment rules.

Redman told the WEEKEND NATION school administrators must be allowed to do their jobs.

"He (Farley) followed procedure. He had informed them; it was their refusal to adhere to what they know to be correct," she said.

Redman added that the rules, formulated by the Ministry of Education, schools and the union, were meant to allow schools to function properly and to govern behaviour.

"On a daily basis, the administration is responsible for the well-being of hundreds of souls, and the only way we can safeguard them is to have rules."

She also took some parents to task, suggesting that instead of guiding and regulating their children's behaviour, they often left it up to schools, but failed to support the administration when it attempted to enforce rules and regulations. (AB-B)