All schools reopen for new term

All schools in Tobago opened on Monday and the majority and students and teachers turned out for the beginning of the new term.

So said THA Chief Secretary and Secretary of Education, who reported that preliminary data showed a 95 per cent turnout of teachers and students on day one.

Charles said Speyside Anglican Primary School did have issue with malfunctioning toilets which was rectified and completed in time for the Tuesday.

School repairs began on July 23 with 51 contractors awarded 83 construction packages from a budget of $15 million for all primary and secondary schools on the island. Orlando Kerr, Tobago Officer, TT Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) said he could not verify which schools were repaired nor if the works had been completed. “I asked the staff representatives to report any issues that they may have as they went to school. The association would really like to know what is happening at the schools because for the first time in about 20 years we have not been given the scopes and we were left out of the vacation repair programme,” Kerr reported. Kerr also said there were still many issues including health and safety matters, affecting Tobago teachers and the union intended to “increase the intensity of how we treat with those matters as we go forward this term.”