Children at primary and secondary levels turned out in their thousands for the first day of the new school year yesterday on what was a day that seemed to have passed off without a hitch for most of them.
Hours later, with smiles etched on their faces after a fulfilling day and some of them slightly dirty from obvious play—the first day usually being a light session—some of those students shared their experiences.
The first to speak was Nikolai Murali, who already has his heart set on becoming a Coast Guard officer, following in the shoes of his father Jerond Glasgow.
The Sacred Heart Boys’ First Year pupil seemed to have made quite a number of friends on the first day of school. Asked what he did when the T&T Guardian met him along Duke Street, Port-of-Spain, Nikolai said: “I played with my friends Joshua, Zachary, Jadel and Ty.”
Another exited pupil ready to take on the new school term was 12-year-old Safiya Amoroso, who attends St James Secondary. The Morvant pupil was caught after she visited her old primary school, Nelson Street Girls’, to say hello to her former teachers and friends.
“It was good. I was a little nervous because it is a new atmosphere, because it is both boys and girls but I was good because some of the children I went to school with passed for the same school as well,” Amoroso said.
Like Amoroso, Nishana Bowman, Shania Montrose and Shadiyah Smith, who now attend Morvant Laventille Secondary, were past pupils of Nelson Street Girls’ who had stopped by for a visit.
The trio said their first day of school was “normal” but they expected more than the orientation and timetable.
Friends Mikel Martin and Renaldo Davis, both five, said they played on their first day at Nelson Street Boys’. The duo, from Plaisaince Terrace, Laventille, spoke with the subtle coaxing of their guardians.
Martin said: “I play, I can’t remember what else I do. I was sleepy too.”
While Martin admitted to being sleepy yesterday, Davis said he played hide and seek.
Twelve-year-old aspiring pilot, Tyrese Bayne, said on his first day at Tranquility Government, he met with teachers who told them of the school rules and was given a tour of the school.
“They tell us no need to come with any school bags, just a book and a pen for this week and next week and to walk with snacks instead of buying from the canteen,” Bayne said, adding he had to get up at 5 am yesterday to get to school on time.
Five-year-old Zewditu Alexander said she “had fun” when asked how her first day at Nelson Street Girls’ was. Her mother, Stacy Graham, said she had been preparing her child from last week, waking her up at seven am to get accustomed to the new school hours.
“I like school, I meet Ms Joseph,” Alexander said.
Education Minister Anthony Garcia said yesterday the new school term got off to a good start, with the majority of schools welcoming students. He said the school repair programme, conducted by the Education Facilities Co Ltd, was very successful and some 204 projects were completed at 170 schools at a cost of $80 million.