The  Minister of  Education  Jeffrey Lloyd is encouraging the public to report any instance of a child being denied admission to a public school.  He  is responding to claims from Right Bahamas that schools are demanding proof of status from students.

Mr. Lloyd told reporters ahead of his weekly Cabinet meeting that both the law and the government’s policy position is very clear on the issue. 

He said, “The Free National Movement government years ago made a very clear statement with regard to this. All children in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas who can provide some information with regard to where they live, who their parents are, and contact information; are entitled to be registered in our school system.”

He added  “no educator, no principal, no school system is authorized to request them to prove no status. We are not in that business.”

 Mr. Lloyd appealed to anyone who may have been affected to reach out to his ministry. 

He said  “If you know of a single instance where a child has been denied admission to a public school, and there is no justifiable reason for that denial; bring it to the Ministry of Education’s attention.”

He added  “I need to know the full and complete name of the child, the child’s date of birth, the school where that permission was denied, and who at the school may have denied such a permission.”

“Bring it to our attention. But for you to continue to say in the media, ‘Oh children are being denied access to the Bahamian educational system and you are not giving me evidence that this is so, I think that is unfair; and if your intension is mischief, then I repudiate that to the pits of hell.”, he said. 

He also promised that authorities will address those cases reported.