Jamaica College finally appoints president

Wayne Robinson, the long-time acting principal of Jamaica College (JC), has finally been confirmed as the principal of St Andrew’s School for Boys.

The Department of Education has approved Robinson’s appointment, effective Sept. 1, 2022, said board chairman Lance Hylton.

“The entire Jamaica College school community is delighted with this long-awaited development as Robinson… leads the school with excellence and distinction,” he said in a press statement.

Robinson, 61, has been acting principal of JC since March 2016, following the departure of former principal Ruel Reedhe specifically asked for leave to serve as Minister of Education.

However, instead of becoming one of Jamaica’s most successful ministers, Reid chose the life of a political criminal, sparking one of the biggest scandals in Jamaican history.

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After the allegations came to light, Reid resigned from the Ministry and the Senate, and a full investigation was launched into the former education minister, led by the Financial Investigation Department (FID) and the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA).

However, Reid officially served as JC’s president until his resignation in November 2021.

Acting Chief Education Officer Terry-Ann Thomas Gayle informed Hilton in a letter dated August 2, 2024, that the Department of Education had approved Robinson’s permanent appointment and directed that he be notified in writing.

The Teachers Service Commission, which is responsible for appointments to senior positions in the education system, initially raised concerns in May 2022, noting that Robinson had “no experience as a training teacher in a public education institution for three years”.

It pleaded with the JC board: “Please submit a letter justifying the board’s selection and requesting a waiver of the requirements to hold the position.”

In response, the junior college board highlighted a letter written by then acting chief education officer Dr. Kasan Troupe in October 2019, which stated that Robinson qualified as a trained graduate with his master’s degree from Western Carolina University in the United States.

In response to a question about Robinson’s acting status in May 2024, Troup, now the department’s permanent secretary, said two things influenced the final decision.

She said the service committee was still assessing the junior college committee’s recommendations and the ministry was waiting for schools to respond to an audit requested by Education Minister Fayval Williams.

Hilton also said the issues surrounding Robinson’s qualifications had been “resolved”, pointing to Troup’s October 2019 letter. “They (the Department of Education) have since confirmed that his qualifications … exceed the requirements”.

Robinson is a long-time educator and a director and former principal of the private education provider Quality Academics.