PLEEBO, Maryland County – The District Education Officer (DEO) of Pleebo School District, Mr. Melvin Krayee, has clarified the suspension of operations at the New Pleebo Extension Elementary and Junior High School, citing low student enrollment compared to the high number of government-paid teachers.
By: Peter P. Toe, Jr., contributing writer
Mr. Krayee, recently assigned as DEO under the Unity Party-led government, stated that the decision is part of efforts to improve efficiency and accountability in the education sector.
He explained that, despite increasing student populations in high schools across the district, many of these schools operate with limited teachers. In contrast, the New Pleebo Extension Elementary and Junior High School has far fewer students but a disproportionately high number of teachers.
According to Mr. Krayee, the Pleebo School District has 51 schools under his supervision. Of these, the New Pleebo Extension Elementary and Junior High School is the only one with such a low enrollment but a large teaching staff.
“There are 57 students in that school, from elementary to junior high, but 16 qualified government-paid teachers are assigned there,” he said.
“Meanwhile, Pleebo High School has over 1,500 students with just 12 government-paid teachers and many volunteers. This imbalance is unacceptable and amounts to exploiting the system.”
As a result, Mr. Krayee has announced the immediate suspension of all activities at the New Pleebo Extension School. Teachers assigned to the school will be reassigned to institutions with greater needs, including Pleebo High School, New Pleebo High School, and Sodoken Central High School. He noted that New Pleebo High School, for instance, currently has no English instructor, and the reassignment will help address such gaps.
Mr. Krayee further revealed that his office has officially recommended the permanent closure of the school to the Ministry of Education through the County Education Officer. While awaiting a response, all school activities will remain suspended, and the teachers will be redeployed.
Regarding students already enrolled for the next academic year, Mr. Krayee said they will be accommodated at other extension high schools within the district, including Pleebo Extension High School and Sodoken Central Extension School.
He also criticized some teachers for working at private schools during the day and using the New Pleebo Extension School as a place of “rest” at night despite low or no student attendance.
“Several unannounced visits to the school at night revealed that no students were present, and teachers were often too tired to teach,” he disclosed.
“The school administration has repeatedly submitted false reports claiming over 100 students, but our investigation confirmed the real figures.”
Mr. Krayee emphasized that the reshuffling of teachers is intended to strengthen schools that are struggling with staff shortages and to ensure the government’s education resources are used effectively.
