Principal asks police to deal with high absenteeism

SEETA PERSAD

Principal of the Brasso RC School, Hannah Lackraj-Maurice has called on the Deputy Commissioner of Police to look into high absenteeism at her school. Speaking at a Police Town meeting at Tabaquite Secondary School on Monday night, Lackraj- Maurice said there are students who stay away from school for a long period of time without proper excuses.

“I am calling on the police to assist the school by visiting these homes and looking into this matter,” the principal said, adding that good policing was needed in the Brasso/Tabaquite areas as there are relinquish drivers on the roads. “They say God protects children and I believe that to be true because drivers just do not care about pedestrians as they always seem to be in a hurry to get from one place to another,” she said.

Also speaking at the meeting was Principal of the Tabaquite Secondary School Cynthia Boodram who told Deputy Commissioner of Police Deodath Dulalchan she is not happy with the way police respond to emergencies. “We are always told that there are no police vehicles available,” Boodram said, adding that it is difficult to deal with certain situations when police are not there to assist citizens.

Dulalchan said he will not take that excuse of ‘no vehicles available’. “This is not so, we do have vehicles in every station to serve the people,” he said. Principal Boodram suggested that the police take note of whatever is happening and attend to it at a later time if not immediately. Dulalchan assured Boodram that there will be better police patrol and foot patrol in the area. He called on Sergeant Mohammed Khan of the Tabaquite Police Station to ensure that there are regular police patrol at the schools.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Surujdeen Persad, and Snr. Supt of the Central Division, Kenny Mc Intyre. At this meeting, former councillor Paras Ramoutar called for the reintroduction of Girl Guides, Boy Scouts and Cadets in the school system.

“I am calling on the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service to hold discussions with the Ministries of Education, National Security, Community Development and other stakeholders to vigorously embark in pursuing this initiative which would certainly help our young people to move away from lawlessness and take a positive step in life,” he said.