Maryland Supt. Faces Recoil

Maryland Supt. Faces Recoil

By Gareyson Neufville

Maryland County Superintendent, Henry Cole, has come under strong criticism from the locals and those living abroad. The criticisms followed Mr. Cole reported decision to suspend the ongoing renovation of the Harper Demonstration School in the town. The school, which has been in a dilapidated state for the past three years, recently attracted the attention of Dobor Bedell, a prominent son of the county. Just weeks ago, Mr. Bedell voluntarily launched the renovation project, describing it as his “way of supporting government efforts to provide students with a safe and conducive learning environment.” The initiative was, was however, abruptly challenged when Cole issued an official release through his official Facebook page, ordering all work to stop. In the statement titled: “Urgent Notice from the Supt’s office,” Mr. Cole said that the renovation was “unauthorized and inconsistent with government procedures.” “The administration disapproves of the ongoing renovation at the Demonstration High School. The government has a procedure for its operations. In any undertaking project, it is imperative that the county administration is informed to facilitate better collaboration and seamless communication, which has not been the case with this renovation work,” a release from the office said. Mr. Cole disclosed further that the county administration was already securing funding from the ‘appropriate’ authorities to repair the school, a matter he claimed, had been previously discussed with both the administration and the Ministry of Education (MoU). The statement added: “While we appreciate development initiatives, we will not tolerate any group disrespecting or undermining the administration under the guise of development. “All works must cease immediately, and those involved will be held accountable if they don’t comply with the order. Please note that this is an administrative decision, not a political one.” The decision has since sparked outrage among Marylanders, many of whom argued that halting a voluntary community-driven project deprives students of an urgent need of safe and functioning learning facility. Others view Cole’s action as ‘counterproductive,’ especially when public schools are in dire need of investment and support. As the debate intensifies, some of the residents have called for clarity and reconsideration of the decision. They have also urged the county leadership to embrace and collaborate with individuals and organizations to contribute to the educational development of the county. Many of them believe that the Mr. Cole intended to keep children in ‘poor and deplorable learning conditions, while discouraging well-meaning Marylanders from contributing their services and driving away potential investors from the county.

George Appleton, a member of the Harper Youth Association (HYA), strongly criticized the manner in which the county has been run since the Cole was appointed.

Appleton called on the Mr. Cole to retract his recent social media post, or risk continued criticism from the locals.