Anniona Jones elected as new JAPSS president

Haile Selassie High School Principal, Anniona Jones, is the new head of the Jamaica Association of Principals of Secondary Schools (JAPPS) following elections held at Church Teachers' College in Mandeville, Manchester, a short while ago. 

Her vice president is Alexander Bourne, the principal of Knox College. 

They were elected as part of a new 14-member executive to serve for the next two years. 

Jones replaced the outspoken Linvern Wright, Principal of William Knibb High School, who served two terms. 

Wright was not eligible for re-election, based on the constitution and its by-laws which prohibit a third consecutive term. 

Haile Selassie High, located in the gritty inner city community of Payne Land, in Kingston 11.

The school was a gift to the people of Jamaica by Emperor Haile Selassie in 1966. 

JAPSS is the professional advocacy body representing high school leaders across the island and actively engages the Ministry of Education on funding, curriculum reform, student discipline, and policy. 

Among the key areas of advocacy are the placement of students under the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) with scrutiny on greater transparency, better resources, and fairer treatment of students across all high school tiers. 

The issue of school funding has been a key focus area for JAPSS, with pressures on the Ministry of Education for increased financial allocations and to help schools manage harsh economic climates and student learning gaps. 

The body is a strong proponent for character education over strict punitive rules and has supported initiatives like the rural school bus service to improve student commutes.

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