Former Half-Way Tree Primary School Principal Yet to be Re-instated

The former Principal of Half-Way Tree Primary School, Carol O’Connor-Clarke, says she’s yet to be re-instated to the post.

The Teachers Appeals Tribunal, three weeks ago, quashed her dismissal by the School’s Board and ordered that she be re-instated.

Mrs. O’Connor-Clarke this afternoon told Nationwide News that she’s still awaiting official notification about her status from the authorities.

She says she’s had no word from the Education Ministry or the Board of Half-Way Tree Primary.

However, the Education Ministry says it’s in the process of having Mrs. O’Connor Clarke re-instated.

Director of Corporate Communications in the Ministry, Byron Buckley, says the educator should be back on the job by the start of the next school term in September.

Following the ruling of the Appeals Tribunal, Mrs. O’Connor Clarke said she was looking forward to being re-instated immediately.

Permanent Secretary in the Education Ministry, Elaine Foster Allen, has said the process of re-instating O’Connor Clarke was to begin two weeks ago.

Last year, the school board fired O’Connor-Clarke for exhibiting what it said was improper conduct in responding to the board chairman, Robert Lawrence, about a complaint from a parent.

However, the Teachers’ Appeal Tribunal overturned the decision on the grounds that the board was improperly constituted.

It argued that Mrs. O’Connor-Clarke was not given a fair hearing as Mr. Lawrence was part of the Board that made the decision to fire her.