Close to 900 primary school students from the top performing Chaguanas Government Primary School have been sent home because of sewer problems.
Among those affected are students who have to begin the Continuous Assessment Component (CAC) of the Secondary Entrance Assessment examination.
The school has joined a growing list of primary and secondary schools across T&T that are being closed due to malfunctioning sewer plants.
“Quite frankly, I have stopped counting,” president of the T&T Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA), Devanand Sinanan, said.
“Every day we are getting reports of primary and secondary schools being closed because of this problem.”
Colin Hosein, executive member of the Parent/Teachers Association (PTA) of Chaguanas Government Primary, said the Xavier Street school’s 888 students were sent home last Wednesday and have not returned since.
He said in a meeting with acting principal, Melissa Mitchell, yesterday morning the PTA was told the school would remain closed indefinitely.
PTA president, Lyndon Mohammed, said: “This is a very critical term for students doing the CAC. There is a lot of stuff in the curriculum that had to start this term.”
In 2011, the school produced the top three SEA students. Its students are often in the top 200.
Mohammed said the PTA has decided to take a stand on the problem that has been occurring since 2008. The sewer usually overflows and causes a foul stench so unbearable teachers and students could not function, he said.
“We are having a meeting with the PTA executive this evening (Monday). We are giving the Education Ministry until Wednesday to rectify the problem.
“If nothing is done, we plan to have a meeting with parents in front the school on Wednesday morning to decide our next move,” he added.
Mohammed said the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) checked the school’s sewer system and submitted a report last week, stating two pumps needed changing and the entire plant an overhaul. He said officials from the Education Facilities Company Ltd (EFCL), in charge of the maintenance and monitoring of sewer systems in all schools, visited the school last week.
“They told us they sent a report to the Education Ministry which oversees the procurement of contracts and was awaiting a response. We have been hearing the same thing several days now.”
Mohammed said Charles Balkaran, former EFCL chairman, now employed with the ministry department dealing with the state entity, confirmed receipt of the report.
Sinanan said EFCL contractors would fix the problem but it would recur the following year.
He said new Education Minister Anthony Garcia has taken a slightly different approach by bringing, for the first time, WASA into the picture.
“I hope the authorities act with despatch to develop and implement a proper programme of preventative maintenance of the school’s sewer systems,” he said.
Efforts to contact officials from the EFCL yesterday were unsuccessful.