radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Part of the ceiling at the Debe Hindu School collapsed yesterday, causing a total shutdown of the institution.
Since the opening of the school term on Monday, all the students from Infants to Standard Three have been sent home indefinitely because of a leaking sewer. However, the Standards Four and Fives were allowed to have classes in the school despite the infrastructural defects while the ministry did a scope of works for repairs.
But in an interview yesterday, public relations officer at the school Vandana Sankaar said the ceiling caved in yesterday.
She said following a meeting, the parents decided that the school was no longer safe for the teachers and pupils. A decision was taken for the building to be evacuated.
“We are waiting on the ministry to fix the sewer and now that the ceiling has gotten worse, the ministry now has to do a scope of works to repair the ceiling. In the meantime, all pupils will be sent home,” Sankar told the T&T Guardian.
Sankaar called on the ministry to fix the school as soon as possible. The school, which is one of the high performing primary schools in the area, has 360 pupils and 17 teachers.
Meanwhile, the Barrackpore East and West Schools also remained closed yesterday as the Education Facilities Company Limited continued repairs to the rectify the damage done during the August 21 earthquake. Parent Nadia Singh said they were told that classes will resume next Monday. She said a staircase on one of the classroom blocks detached from the building during the earthquake.
Meanwhile, at the St Dominic’s RC School in Penal, an electrical engineer from the ministry visited the school yesterday to look at the faulty electrical which parents say was a health hazard. The parents staged another round of protests yesterday, saying they were fed up with the poor response from the ministry in getting schools ready for the new term.
At the Fanny Village Government Primary, parents said they were expecting a meeting with ministry officials to discuss completion of their new school. The school, built at a cost of $28 million, is 85 per cent complete but is sinking in a swamp.
In an interview on Wednesday, Minister of Education Anthony Garcia said the ministry was working on rectifying the leaking toilets and sewer at the Debe Hindu School. He said assessments were still being done on the 66 schools damaged by the earthquake and once investigations are complete he will take a note to Cabinet requesting funds. He could not say how much money had been spent to fix the schools or how much more was needed to get the schools ready. More than 25 schools failed to open this week because of poor infrastructure.
With regard to Fanny Village, Garcia said, “I cannot say at this stage when it will open. We have visited the school and looked at what could be done and if we can we will try to have the school up and running at the shortest possible time.”
He added, “As you know the contractors have not been paid and have withheld their services, so schools have not been finished. We want to make sure that the contractors are being paid. Cabinet has appointed a committee to head planning and development so they can meet and work out a plan for payments. A meeting was held with contractors and we are looking at a way forward. Once contractors are paid then construction of our incomplete schools will start as soon as possible.”