The Ministry of Education says educational institutions, including universities, that continue to withhold students’ final examination results because of money owing are doing so illegally as the practice is against Government policy.

“Terminal examinations are a relationship between the student and the examining body. It is unethical, it is imprudent, it is illegal for administrators to retain the results by virtue of fees being owed. No examination results are to be held because students owe fees,” permanent secretary in the education ministry, Dr Maurice Smith told the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) of Parliament yesterday. He pointed out that the policy is not a new one.

“The communication to the public has not been effective. They may be going on to higher examination or something, and they don’t get the opportunity and have to sit out a year,” PAAC chairman, Dr Wykeham McNeil argued. He told the House committee that constituents have approached several members of Parliament with the same complaint.

However, it is unclear whether any of the sanctions which Smith outlined to the committee are being applied, as the age-old practice has become the norm among institutions, leaving parents to scramble to come up with arrears or the students to suffer the consequences such as being hamstrung in their academic advancement.

Smith said the regulations governing the sector specify that the principals can be cited for negligence, insubordination or professional misconduct, but said he was not “in the position” to say whether these penalties have ever been applied.

“The situation is rampant. It’s almost a given. What is a shock to me is to realise that it is illegal because it seemed as if it was the norm. The majority of the public feel as if they have nowhere to turn; they are distressed, many of them,” MP Juliet Holness interjected.

Smith said there have been reports in the past and that the ministry has intervened when made aware of specific cases.

“We work through the school boards. Once the matter is raised we or our officers act right away, we make contact and make an intervention on behalf of the student. As far as I know in instances where we intervene there is resolution,” the permanent secretary said.

“… If there is an insistence not to comply the ministry has no choice but to act within the ambit of the law to ensure that we hold the board or the principal compliant,” he added.