STUDENTS SAY NO TO MIKE HENRY ... Proposal to change name of Denbigh High to honour politician opposed

A proposal to rename Denbigh High School in honour of Member of Parliament (MP) for Central Clarendon, Mike Henry, has been met with staunch opposed by some students and past students.

The Ministry of Education confirmed that it recently received a request from stakeholders in the Denbigh community to have the school renamed for the long-standing MP.

The ministry said that it is in the process of conducting a series of consultations in the matter. The results of the consultations will then be submitted to the parliament, where a final decision will be taken.

The school's chairman, Aldo Brown, told THE STAR that the Ministry of Education recently consulted with the school and that he and other members of the board as well as members of staff and students were given questionnaires to respond to the proposal.

A group of current and past students at the institution have since launched a petition under the name 'Denbigh High Forever, No Change!,to protest the proposal.

To date, the petition, which is being circulated online, has garnered the support of 671 signatories.

"The name of the school is very sentimental of where the school is now and where it is coming. Let it remain to prevent all its accomplishments and developments from being lost over time through the renaming," Daniel Watt, a past student, said.

The man at the centre of the matter, Henry told THE STAR that he was humbled by the proposal to have the school renamed in his honour, but he also expressed reservations.

"I'm agonising within myself because I don't want to show in any way lack of gratitude for the consideration," Henry said.

Henry said he was aware that not everyone would be in support of the proposal but he was averse to any move that would create division.

"If there are past students who feel strongly about the name change, then I will ask them not to pursue it," Henry said.

Henry first became member of parliament for Central Clarendon in 1980 and has since won every election he has contested.