PEP transfer trap

Anniona Jones, president of the Jamaica Association of Principals of Secondary Schools (JAPSS), is advising parents to exercise caution when considering transferring their children to new high schools following the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) placement process. Jones stressed that such decisions should prioritize the child's overall development over the perceived prestige of a particular institution.

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We have to be very careful about how we think of some schools as intervention schools or schools for children with low academic aptitudes, because as the children start to do better, people are still not going to want to place their children necessarily in those schools.

Jones also cautioned school administrators against admitting a large number of transfer students primarily for financial incentives. She argued that overcrowding negatively impacts the quality of education and places undue stress on teachers and school facilities. She noted that while some schools receive numerous transfer requests, not all are equipped to provide the necessary academic support for every student.

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It becomes an issue, though, for school governance to be able to say to a principal and have that conversation at the board level that, ‘Listen, this school was built for X amount.’

The JAPSS president highlighted the importance of managing school capacity, questioning why some schools operate on a shift system while others remain underpopulated. She suggested that school boards should have the authority to limit enrollment, proposing a cap of 22 to 30 students per class. This is particularly crucial for subjects like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), which benefit from smaller class sizes that allow for more focused instruction and personalized attention.

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I still don’t know why we have schools on [the] shift [system] when we have so many schools that are underpopulated.

While acknowledging that schools are often hesitant to reduce enrollment due to funding models based on student numbers, Jones welcomed the government's initiative to implement a more equitable funding system. She also raised concerns about the increasing costs associated with transfer applications, citing fees that can range from $1,000 to $5,000, which can generate significant revenue for schools even if they cannot accommodate all applicants.

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It’s really…a policy issue, but a board can make a decision that we are going to limit our school sizes to no more than 22 to 30 children per class.