JEDDAH, 23 September 2003 — At long last, school board elections at the International Philippine School in Jeddah (IPSJ) are to be held within two weeks. This was announced by Mansour Ghazali, director of foreign schools at the Ministry of Education, during a surprise visit to the IPSJ yesterday.
Ghazali, who was accompanied by Philippine Vice Consul and Acting Principal Officer Jose Jacob, had to enter the school by force after being stopped the school’s security guards. The election will be held in accordance with the rules set forth by the Ministry of Education.
A jam-packed meeting held by Ghazali at the Social Hall was attended by parents and faculty staff. Teachers temporarily halted lessons to hear what Ghazali had to say.
Teachers were later given the chance to choose the interim principal in an impromptu election observed by Ghazali. In a secret ballot Ameerah S. Ali was elected principal, Fatima Natangcop assistant principal, and June Ramil Jr. administrative officer. All of them will be serving until the school board is elected.
The move was seen as a major blow to the Interim Board headed by Fidel Hernandez who lobbied to be recognized at the House of Representatives through Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.
In a phone interview, Hernandez condemned the move by Ghazali and Jacob. “Vice Consul Jacob betrayed us as parents by not informing us about this move,” he said.
Hernandez further said that according to the school’s by-laws, only the school board has the right to appoint the principal and to conduct elections. “We will file a formal complaint against both of them to the Department of Foreign Affairs,” he said.
Efren Rodriguez for his part has said: “Let us support the initiative of the MOE if that is the only solution to the power struggle at the IPSJ.”
None of the members of the Rodriguez and Hernandez boards will be allowed to run. “We need fresh leaders to run the school,” Ghazali was quoted as saying.