Reid’s tumultuous journey

• Ruel Reid was first appointed to the Senate in 2013 by then Opposition Leader Andrew Holness.

• He lost his senatorial appointment when the Constitutional Court ruled that the pre-signed resignation letters submitted by Holness to the Governor General to remove both Christopher Tufton and Arthur Williams from the Senate, were null and void. Both Reid and Nigel Clarke had to vacate positions in the Senate with the return of Tufton and Williams.

• After his 2016 election win, Holness again appointed his close friend and former advisor Ruel Reid as Senator and Minister of Education, Youth and Information

• On March 20, 2019 Prime Minister Holness requested Reid’s resignation following “certain allegations in the public domain”.

 

Controversy dogged Ruel Reid during his tenure as minister. The following are issues that made headlines out of the education ministry under Reid’s watch:

 

– Salary confusion

Gov’t submits three different figures for Ruel Reid’s adviser

 

– Reid refers proposed code for teachers to NCE

Education Minister Ruel Reid has referred a proposed code of conduct for educators and boards to the National Council on Education (NCE) for review, following public outrage over some of the clauses.

 

– Reid rubbishes PNP claims of vote buying in North West St Ann

Education Minister Ruel Reid has rubbished claims made by the Opposition People’s National Party that he recently committed $61 million to nine schools for political gain in the North West St Ann constituency to which he was recently named as the Jamaica Labour Party candidate.

 

– School board shake-up coming Education minister demands accountability

Education Minister Ruel Reid is contemplating establishing district boards in a bid to hold school boards more accountable.

 

– ‘Creative’ schools still extracting fees

Education minister vows strong action against institutions for ‘corrupt’ act

 

– Education Minister Apologises Again – Reid Vows To Work With Teachers

Education Minister Senator Ruel Reid, yesterday, made a public apology to the nation’s teachers and school administrators for his reference to several learning institutions as extortionists.

 

– Ruel’s ratings fall

Outstanding educator yet to impress in ministry

Having impressed many as one of the country’s top educators, Ruel Reid was expected to take his vision and leadership to the top rung of the country’s education ministry.

But in the first 100 days of the life of the administration, the man who many say was instrumental in returning Jamaica College to its glory days has failed to convince all Jamaica that he is ready for the job, and panellists at a recent Gleaner Editors’ Forum generally found him wanting in a number of areas.

 

– Education Minister Ruel Reid has come under fire for the PEP mock exam results.