Repairs underway at Pt Fortin East

Repairs are underway at the Point Fortin East Secondary School. But there remains no word about when classes will resume.

On Monday, members of the parents-teachers association (PTA) staged another protest outside the school’s compound over several infrastructural repairs to be done at the school. After the roll call on Monday, classes were called off for the rest of the day. There were no classes on Tuesday.

PTA president Tafara Lewis said there were no classes on Wednesday either. Lewis said there were electrical and engineering on the school compound, But she added the PTA has not received any electrical or engineering assessment reports which could indicate when classes at the school will resume

Minister of State in the Education Ministry Dr Lovell Francis visited the school last Tuesday and again on Tuesday. Occupational Health and Safety Agency (OSHA) officials also visited the school on Tuesday.

Francis said, “We have started making the repairs which can be completed within a week.” He added, “So we are working along with OSHA to have the prohibition notices lifted as quickly as possible.”

On Monday, TTUTA president Antonia De Freitas said three prohibition notices had been issued by OSHA regarding different parts of the school.

Ministry officials said between last July and August, repair works at the school included refurbishment of staff washrooms; replacement of guttering from Block C to Q; replacement of the ceiling in Blocks P and M and the library; installation of additional electrical outlets in the library and staff room. Last December, there were emergency works that included cleaning and de-sludging of the sewer; replacement of sewer pumps; repair to the control panel; repair/replacement of gas lines and gas taps. The cost of these works was just over $700,000.

Refurbishment of the closed student washrooms; replacement of louvres in Block J and overhaul of the auditorium stage are among the works scheduled to be done at the school