Merl Grove PTA calls for review of principal’s leadership as parents raise concerns

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of Merl Grove High School is calling on the institution's board of management and the Ministry of Education to urgently undertake a formal review of the leadership of the school, including principal Dr Marjorie Fullerton's approach to management and her suitability to continue in that role. According to a press release issued by the association, the call follows mounting concerns expressed by parents regarding what they describe as a deteriorating relationship between the school’s leadership and sections of the parent community, and a growing loss of confidence in the present leadership environment. “Parents have repeatedly reported interactions which they consider curt, dismissive and, at times, disrespectful.

Concerns have also been expressed regarding what parents perceive as impulsive and unilateral decision-making, an unwillingness to listen to reasonable representations, inadequate consultation, and insufficient explanation or justification for decisions affecting students and their families,” the PTA said, adding that the concerns can no longer be dismissed as isolated disagreements between individual parents and the administration. According to the PTA, among concerns expressed by parents is the handling of graduation arrangements for the 2026 graduating class. The association said parents were formally advised in March 2026 that graduation exercises would take place on July 2, 2026.

It said families subsequently made preparations in reliance upon that date, including purchasing clothing, arranging celebrations, applying for vacation leave, coordinating transportation and accommodating relatives travelling from overseas. The association said graduation-related activities had also already commenced, including class photographs, arrangements for graduation photographs and payments for school leaving certificates and other related expenses. However, it said parents expressed concerns when they were subsequently advised that the graduation ceremony would instead be held on October 25, 2026 — almost four months after the date originally communicated.

“The concern extends beyond the change of date itself. Parents have questioned the absence of meaningful consultation before such a significant decision was taken and the financial, logistical and emotional consequences for families who had relied upon…