P’Town East classes resume on Monday for forms 4,5

Education Minister Anthony Garcia yesterday announced, classes for forms four and five students of the Princes Town East Secondary School are expected to resume on Monday.

But students of forms one to three are expected to return to school the following week, on January 22.

Yesterday Garcia and other officials from the Ministry visited the school and met with staff members to discuss plans to resume classes.

“I am very pleased to note that the staff have been very patient,” Garcia said. “They have been understanding and have pledged that they will be willing to work in the best interest of our students.

“As teachers, administrators, as those involved in education, it always pains us when students do not have access to an education. We want to ensure that that access, which is a right to all the students, will be available to all the students in the not so distant future.” Garcia also said he received confirmation that the St Joseph Secondary School will reopen on Monday.

Also visiting the school yesterday, according to a release from the ministry, were Minister of State in the ministry, Dr Lovell Francis; permanent secretaries Lenore Baptiste-Simmons and Angela Sinaswee-Gervais; and deputy permanent secretary Kurt Meyer. There were also school supervisors and representatives from the Education Facilities Company Limited.

TTUTA and NPTA presidents, Lynsley Doodhai and Raffeina Ali-Boodoosingh respectively, also attended.

Only on Thursday, Princes Town MP Barry Padarath criticised the Minister over what he said was deplorable state of the school. The MP claimed that electrical and air-conditioning systems for the laboratories stopped working and the building is not fit for use.

He charged that the general infrastructure in several blocks of the school was structurally unsound and unsafe.

In September, disgruntled parents attempted to block staff from leaving the students unsupervised. Staff had reportedly walked off the job due to a malfunctioning air-conditioning system.