Scores of pupils at the Cap-de-Ville Government Primary School have been given an extra month’s vacation as contractors are yet to complete their new school. Protest marked the start of the new school term at the Point Fortin school which led to a visit by Education Minister Anthony Garcia, who assured the Parent Teachers Association that after two years of delays in its construction, the school would be opened by October 15.
He gave instructions that in the interim, a temporary building on the old compound be used to house the Standards Four and Five pupils until next month. The rest of the school population from First Year to Standard Three would stay home until then.
Speaking with reporters yesterday, Garcia said, “After lengthy discussions, we are confident that the situation has abated somewhat in that there is an agreement that the new school will be in a state of readiness so that students could occupy it on October 15.
“The parents had certain concerns and those concerns were addressed. Among the concerns were that the building has to be air-conditioned and it must meet all safety requirements. We have been given the assurance that those things will be put in place. We had a tour of the classrooms and we found that the classrooms are suitable for the time being.
“Another concern of the parents was the traffic because cars usually speed along the road. They had requested that speed bumps be placed across the road. We have agreed to work with the Ministry of Works’ traffic division to ensure that those speed bumps will be erected that it would slow the traffic a bit.”
President of the school PTA Tricia Cardinal lauded Garcia’s quick response to their protest. However, she believed the delays in completing the new school were intentional as there was little work taking place before yesterday. Cardinal said it was only when word spread of the minister’s visit that workmen made late hour repairs to the old school.
She said up to the start of the new term, sewage was leaking from the toilet while there was a hole in the roof.
No more late school reopening
Tardy work by the Education Facilities Company Ltd (EFCL) has led to the late opening of schools every year. However, Garcia said, he would do everything in his power to ensure all schools were reopened on time after the vacation period. He said he had already spoken to his permanent secretary, chief education officer Harrilal Seecharan, and EFCL officials to resolve the issues. However, he declined to say what were the problems at EFCL.
TTUTA wants SEA change
T&T Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) president Devanand Sinanan says they will be advocating for changes in the Continuous Assessment Component (CAC) of the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) when they formally meet with Education Minister Anthony Garcia. Garcia has already said that he has ideas with regards to the CAC which he will discuss with the technical officers at his ministry.
“I will have discussions with the chief education officer and the technical advisers of the Ministry of Education to look at that. I have certain ideas which I will be discussing with the technical officers of the Ministry of Education. When that is done, I will be able to speak more freely with the press,” he told reporters at the Cap-de-ville Government Primary School, yesterday.