Chester Sambrano
Education Minister Anthony Garcia has told parents of students attending the Couva West Secondary School that no disrespect was meant by neither him nor Minister in the Minstry Dr Lovell Francis from being absent from a critical meeting last Thursday.
In a statement Garcia said in an article titled “No Show Garcia angers Couva West Sec parents” in a daily newspaper (not the T&T Guardian on Saturday it was quoted that parents felt slighted by his the non-appearance at a stakeholder meeting.
The minister said his ministry has maintained its commitment to the stakeholders of Couva West Secondary School and throughout the last week, Francis and other ministry fficials visited the school to ensure that the proposed and scheduled work were almost to completion.
He added that the meeting held by the Couva West stakeholders was held on January 23 at a time when both he and r Francis would have been attending the President’s Medal Award ceremony at the President’s House.
Garcia said, “There was no disrespect meant or malicious intent behind neither minister being at the meeting but rather a scheduling conflict.”
He said the repair works at the school are still underway and stakeholders will be apprised of the progress and steps forward within the coming week.
Garcia said, “I have publicly and privately given my commitment to ensuring that this school returns to a state of normalcy in the shortest possible timeframe. It would never be my intention to disregard the interests of any stakeholder in education and we will continue to work to the benefit of all.