No lockout despite uniform and grooming breaches, says Maggotty principal

MAGGOTTY, St Elizabeth — Maggotty High School Principal Sean Graham has rejected claims that hundreds of students were locked out for attire and uniform breaches on Monday. “We didn’t lock out any [of the] students. We are working with their parents in terms of the breaches. All students had access. The grade coordinators called the parents to correct the breaches because the breaches are for shoes, pants, and some of the hairstyles — it is not anything major,” Graham told the Jamaica Observer while pointing out that just over 200 students had been found in breach of the school’s attire rules. His comments follow a complaint by a relative of a student who told the Observer that the child had been locked out of school for not meeting the required length of three inches below the knee for her skirt as it was reportedly two inches. In response, Graham was surprised as he said leniency is given once the length of the skirt is below the knee. File photo of a student among three people waiting to enter through a security post at Maggotty High School in St Elizabeth. (Photo: Naphtali Junior) “All uniforms must be three inches below the knee. Once the knee is covered I don’t see anybody going to that extreme. If it is above the knee, then it becomes a problem,” He said for students whose shoes were not appropriate, parents were given guidance to address the breach. “We don’t really have any issues with shoes, it is the colour that is the issue and … some are wearing the Clarks with the cheese bottom that is of a different colour, so we are just working with the parents, telling them to just polish it out,” said Graham. GRAHAM… we didn’t lock out any of the students (Photo: Naphtali Junior) In August, parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Education Senator Marlon Morgan reminded school administrators not to lock students out for breaches of uniform and grooming standards. “I just want to remind each school leader of the Government’s directive: If a child presents at school, presents for instruction, and is in some way in violation of a school rule — for example, the grooming standards or the uniform — do not have the student locked out of the school,” stated Morgan. He was addressing the Region 4 Principals’ Leadership Conference and Appreciation Luncheon 2026, held at Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James, on August 27. “The direction from the ministry is for the child to be admitted and appropriate punishment or remedy administered within the context of the school,” stated Morgan as he highlighted the responsibilities of school administrators.