School auditorium ceiling collapses

WEEKS after teachers at Princes Town West secondary school complained about safety, security and dilapidated conditions, the ceiling in the auditorium collapsed on Monday. Luckily, no one was injured.

Teachers believe the ceiling may have weakened because of the 6.9 magnitude earthquake which rocked the nation on September 21. The auditorium and others parts of the school suffered structural damage but staff claimed no safety inspection was done on the building.

“So, we have no OSHA or fire safety certificates yet children were in assembly in there every day and teachers were also forced to go there,” a school source said. After Monday’s collapse access to the area was restricted. A source at the Ministry of Education said there are procedures to follow and promised the Education Facilities Company Limited (EFCL) would deal with the issue.

President of the TT Unified Teachers Association Lynsley Doodhai promised to look into the report. Last week, staff said they felt abandoned by the ministry as their appeal for better working conditions fell on deaf ears. Staffers claimed that attempts to speak out about the issues resulted in threats of disciplinary action.

“Teachers are frustrated and so too are the children which is what may be causing these violent outbursts,” a teacher said. “The sewer system smells. The classrooms are extremely hot and uncomfortable, especially on afternoons and there are no fans. The staff room is not air conditioned and there are no fans in there either. The walkway leaks whenever it rains. We are just in a bad way here,” the teacher said.

Little has been done to improve the infrastructure and overall aesthetics of the school, the teacher said. Staff and students alike feel demotivated over the unacceptable conditions and school morale is at an all-time low. “We feel abandoned by the ministry especially after several appeals to them have fallen on deaf and uncaring ears,” the teacher said.