MP and Minister say no

UPDATE:

MARLENE AUGUSTINE and SHANE SUPERVILLE

EDUCATION Minister Anthony Garcia yesterday called on residents of east Laventille to help take care of students of the Success Laventille Secondary School. Responding to calls to relocate the school, Garcia said doing so would not solve the issue, and building a new school is not an option at this time.

“The schools in Port of Spain are filled to capacity. If we have to relocate the students, it will mean we would have to build a new school. At the moment we have a number of schools at various stages of incompletion and we have to finish those first.

“What needs to be done is that the community has to adopt the school, and in adopting the school all the nonsense with violence will stop. That is the only way.” Garcia said although the school is in a violent community, those involved in criminal activities should consider the well-being of students, teachers and other staff.

He said the Morvant/Laventille initiative was designed to address all the issues which confronts the community which was mandated by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.

“We are doing everything possible to ensure that our students would be the ones to set the examples. We have given to each student in every school a coloured jersey that has in front of it ‘I am the change’ because we want to ensure the change starts with the students.”

On Wednesday, during a parent-teacher meeting at the school, students, staff and parents hid beneath tables in classrooms when gunshots rang out nearby. Four shootings near the school have been reported for 2018. NPTA president Raffiena Ali-Boodoosingh called for the school to be relocated owing to its location between warring gangs.

For his part, Laventille West MP Fitzgerald Hinds yesterday objected to suggestions to relocate the school saying there were no grounds for such a large-scale community shift.

Hinds said while he was concerned about recent incidents near the school, there was not sufficient reason to relocate the staff and students and said instead of relocating, security at the school ought to be strengthened. He said he intends to meet with staff at the school and discuss further plans to improve security.

“I don’t know what she (Ali-Boodoosingh) was thinking when she said that. You don’t so flippantly consider moving an entire school, which forms such an institutional importance in a community. I don’t think...because there is a flare-up of crime in a community you suggest that.

Hinds said he was fully aware of the situation and had arranged to hold another meeting with staff at the school to see what could be done about security.

Asked about programmes aimed at removing boundaries set by gangs in Laventille and East Port of Spain, Hinds said he continued to work closely with colleague and Laventille East/Morvant MP Adrian Leonce to find new ways of reaching out to communities and removing these barriers.

He also criticised criminals for their part in creating divisiveness.

“As MPs we understand the emptiness, the futility and stupidity of these imaginary wars and the borderline foolishness in the community.

“It’s a continuous programme, and whether we do it through special education programmes or reaching out to the police and the public, we are doing all that we can to engage and support these communities.”

ORIGINAL STORY:

Education Minister Anthony Garcia is calling on residents of east Laventille, Port of Spain to help take care of students attending Success Laventille Secondary school.

Responding to calls for relocating the school today, Garcia said relocating the school will not solve the issue.

He also said building a new school is not an option at this time.

“The schools in Port of Spain are filled to capacity, if we have to relocate the students, it will mean we would have to build a new school. At the moment we have a number of schools at various stages of incompletion, we have to complete those schools first."