The Board of Calabar High School has sought to assure the public, that action was taken by the Acting Principal, to stop derogatory chants by students at a recent assembly.

This is the wake of public condemnation about leaders of the school being present on the stage, while the young boys chanted about their sporting rivals, Kingston College.

Already, persons have called for the Acting Principal, to be removed.

A video of the incident has gone viral on social media.

In a statement today (Apl 2), the Calabar school board said, it is aware of videos being circulated, which depict students of Calabar High School chanting derogatory slurs during a session of the school’s assembly, yesterday (Apl 1).

The board said it finds this content deeply abhorrent and not in keeping with the values, ethos and principles that have been upheld as a church school for over a century.

The board said actions have already been taken to include an investigation launched into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Further, a discussion was had with the Principal of Kingston College and a written apology sent to the staff and students of KC.

It said Calabar will lead a delegation of teachers and students to Kingston College tomorrow (Apl 3), to participate in their devotion and to publicly offer the apology to the staff and students.

Additionally, Calabar’s leadership has met with the entire school population and conveyed its strong condemnation of the utterances.

The board said preliminary reports indicate that the teachers present were not party to the unfortunate utterances, which took place during the regular chanting of school cheers.

It said the acting principal, who was also present, took immediate action and stopped the offensive chant, once he became aware of the content.

In the meantime, Minister without Portfolio with Responsibility for Education, Karl Samuda, called the behaviour disturbing and distasteful and not in keeping with the positive actions and values that the education system instils in students.

Mr. Samuda and other ministry officials, visited Calabar High  and met with the senior leadership of the school, this morning.

The board is to provide a report to Samuda, by Friday, April 5.

And, Opposition Spokesman on Education, Reverend Ronald Thawites has expressed alarm and condemnation at the behaviour of Calabar students, following a chanting incident, yesterday.

Reverend Thwaites says neither the behaviour nor the lyrics represent the expectations of students, teachers and leaders at institutions of learning.

He says he remains steadfast in the view of, and commitment to, values-based education, which ensures first and foremost character development and good citizenship.

The Opposition spokesman says a thorough investigation into the incident must be undertaken, subsequent to which every effort should be made to hold accountable those responsible for such a decrepit show of sportsmanship, and to restore the now tainted image of an institution that has for decades represented the best of Jamaica.