If the Roman Catholic Board of Education is allowed to have its way, a new school costing approximately $30 million will be built to accommodate students of Pt Cumana RC. Archbishop Joseph Harris disclosed the figure in a telephone interview yesterday with the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian.
There is a looming dispute between government officials and parents of students who attend the Pt Cumana RC and Government Primary Schools. Minister of Education Dr Tim Gopeesingh is advocating the integration of the approximately 124 RC students into the government school because the building housing the RC school is dilapidated and has been closed for some time.
The decision was reached at a meeting among the minister, Opposition Leader and MP Dr Keith Rowley, a representative of the Catholic Board of Education, parents of both schools and some teachers. It met with disapproval, however, from the parents of the RC school. Yesterday Harris maintained that Catholics have a right to train their own. "And anyone else who wishes to be trained by us," he said.
The Archbishop has written the minister expressing his disapproval at the outcome of the meeting held on Monday. As a consequence, the minister and the RC leader will hold a meeting today after which, the Archbishop said, a statement will be released on the matter.