Students of the St Joseph Secondary School will return to classes on November 9.
This, after Education Minister Anthony Garcia yesterday directed principal Cheryl Julien to ensure the school was ready for occupation.
Julien was also instructed to secure the services of two teachers for maths and English.
Following a mid-morning meeting with Julien and other officials at the school at Farm Road, Curepe, Garcia promised to have T&TEC assist with rectifying the electrical issues at the school.
During a closed door meeting, Garcia was informed that the 875 students and 54 staff members had been away from school for the past month, following two recent fires.
He explained that due to an overloading of circuits, the school’s electricity supply began fluctuating, which posed a danger to both teachers and students and which eventually resulted in students being sent home on October 5.
In addition, the issue of overcrowding arose after several classrooms were condemned following the physical dilapidation of Block B, as missing louvre panes resulted in the students being drenched whenever it rained.
Addressing reporters as he emerged from the meeting, Garcia said: “I have directed that the school should be made available or accessible to students by Monday November 9.
“It has been too long for students to be out of school. Whenever students are out of school, they are being denied an education and as Minister of Education, I will do everything that is possible to ensure that students are not denied that very important right.”
Revealing he had also mandated the necessary repairs to Block B in time for Monday’s opening, Garcia said a meeting was scheduled for yesterday evening with the Education Facilities Company Ltd (EFCL), the agency responsible for repairs and construction of schools.
Pressed to say why the new school, which was toured earlier this year by former education minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh was never opened as promised, Garcia replied:
“I have been told that the contractor was fired in July this year and a new one was hired. I will be better apprised following the meeting (yesterday).”
He assured the staff that all efforts would be made to have the new building “up and running in the not too distant future.”
A visit to the new school which was constructed behind the old premises, revealed that the grounds were overgrown with bushes and grass was seen winding its way up the washed out walls.
A workman was also observed standing atop scaffolding, scraping the flaking paint off the eastern wall.
Attempts to question Julien about the school’s operations were abruptly shut down by Garcia, as he instructed reporters to address him alone.
Becoming visibly upset when he was faced with questions about the number of schools which still remained closed, including the continued closure of the Munroe Road Hindu School where the parents and children were facing similar problems, Garcia insisted that he would only entertain questions relating to the school he was visiting.
It was a similar situation over at the Aranguez North Secondary School where Garcia again insisted reporters should address him alone.
Although principal Gerard Thomas stood next to Garcia, it was the minister who disclosed what issues were affecting the school’s operations.
Revealing that the malfunctioning air-conditioning system had resulted in the 650 students and 54 staff members having to remain at home since schools opened on September 8, Garcia was critical of the design and layout of the two schools he visited.
He said: “I am of the view that the designs of these schools have been poor, very poor.
“If these schools do not have a functioning air-condition system, nothing can work. Even the water supply, flushing of the toilets and the electricity supply, everything falls down if you do not have a functioning air-condition system.”
With classes having resumed on Monday, Garcia offered his perspective as he said: “In my view, if consideration was taken by those responsible for designing the schools, that we live in a tropical country, we would not have had these problems.
“I cannot see for the life of me, why schools have to be air-conditioned when you have a free flow of air passing through the classrooms.”
Promising that feature would now be included in future designs of schools, Garcia said a proposal by a member of staff for students to be allowed an extra year at school to make up for the lost classroom time, was something which needed to be carefully considered.