Sacrificing Religion for Prestige?

In light of the recent saga wherein the position of head girl was withdrawn from a student at St. Hilda’s High, I was compelled to pen an article to the Gleaner’s editor. Below are my unedited thoughts published on Monday, October 12. I have received many reviews, both negative and positive but the bottom line is, this is how I feel about the situation and I welcome your feedback.

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I’m in full support of the move made by the St Hilda’s High administrative board to debadge Jade Bascoe as head girl of the institution on the basis of her affiliation with the Jehovah’s Witness faith.

On enrolling at the institution, the child’s mother, Rhonda Clarke, indicated that her daughter was, in fact, a Jehovah’s Witness. Therefore, it is rather appalling that since the prestigious position of head girl was withdrawn from Ms Bascoe, the mother is now quick to dissociate her child from the faith.

There are strict guidelines that govern the conduct of Jehovah’s Witnesses. As a past student of an Anglican school, Founders’ Day is a highly regarded event on the school calendar, in which the head girl plays an integral role, whether by praying or reading scriptures publicly. Therefore, this would be regarded as conflict of interest, as Miss Bascoe would be breaking religious rules. With this in mind, the board made the move in the best interest of the student and her religious affiliation.

On the other hand, the school erred by not investigating the student’s religious background before appointing her to the position.

My question to Ms Clarke and her child is, is it worth sacrificing religion for the prestige that comes with being named head girl?