Education Minister Anthony Garcia is assuring that the Ramai Trace Hindu School in Debe will be completed and he is optimistic that the completion will be in time for the start of the new school year in September.
But in the wake of more threats of protest by parents and the Member of Parliament for the area Dr Roodal Moonilal, the Minister says “it is their right to protest I have no problem with that.”
Garcia said it was his responsibility “to ensure that all the children of this nation have access to an education and to a quality education that we are determined to provide and we will do everything to ensure that is done.”
Over the past weeks, there have been several protests by parents of students attending the school demanding that Government complete the structure which they say is over 90 per cent complete and which is now overgrown with bushes.
The angry parents say for the past two years, the students have been getting their education at the Hanuman Milan Hindu Temple in Penal, which is almost an hour away from Ramai Trace and many of them have to leave home as early as 6.30 am. But they also lament that the temple has inadequate toilet facilities and inadequate ventilation for the 271 students.
Moonilal,after whom the school was renamed in 2013, has joined the parents in the protest and has threatened to take the protests to the Ministry of Education and the Office of the Prime Minister.
Garcia said: “It is the right of any member of Parliament, any parent group to have a protest or to let their voices be heard. That is their right. I will not interfere with that. So if that is the road that the MP wants to take let him go ahead I have no problem with that.”
He acknowledged that since the construction of the school started just under three years ago the 271 students had been housed in a temple, much to the inconvenience of them and their parents. He said “everything possible” is being done to ensure completion as soon as possible.
Garcia said the Ministry of Education has identified 10 schools which are in “various stages of completion and Ramai Trace Hindu School is one of those and we will be working expeditiously to ensure that the school is completed.”
To this end, he said, “we have already had a discussion with the contractor who at first terminated the contract because of non-payment but he is willing to resume. But we need to have some payment at least some part-payment to be made.”
Garcia could not say how soon that will be done but said: “we are confident that we can restart the school so that it can be completed in the shortest possible time.”
Asked whether the school will be finished in time for the start of the new school year in September, Garcia said: “we are aiming for September for the school to be completed, but I am confident it will be finished this year.”