Minister of Education has taken serious action against St. Theresa Convent Catholic School for what they called breaches of duty of care, student safeguarding, and supervision standards.
In a press statement issued in Monrovia, the Ministry said their action to punish the school and the artist followed its review of the inappropriate performance held at St. Theresa Convent Catholic School.
The Ministry determined that the event, which involved indecent exposure before students, constituted a serious failure of child protection obligations in a school environment.
The Ministry in her five counts punishment imposed of financial penalty of LRD 500,000 on St. Theresa Convent Catholic School and said amount is to be paid within fourteen (14) days.
Other fines include mandatory disciplinary proceedings against administrators and teachers responsible for supervision, with evidence of action to be submitted to the Ministry and a nationwide prohibition on the artist “Christoph the Change” from performing at school-related events for the remainder of the academic year.
The Ministry also requested a requirement for a formal apology and corrective action plan from the school administration and a coordinated student counseling and parental engagement through the Montserrado County Education Office.
Before the imposition of the fines, the Ministry of Education said despite a formal invitation to address the matter, the Catholic School Secretariat was represented at the meeting; however, no administrators from St. Theresa Convent Catholic School were present.
“Up to the date of this communication, no written explanation had been received from the school regarding their non-attendance” the release said.
According to the statement, the absence of the school’s administrators in this context was deemed a failure to comply with the Ministry’s summons and regulatory expectations.
