Arima Hindu Primary School gets new temporary home

Students from the Arima Hindu Primary School will be temporarily housed upstairs Jadoo’s Plaza in Arima.

The school, the first Hindu school opened by the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) in 1952, is currently located at the crime-ridden Temple Street, Arima, an infamous drug den.

Parents and teachers raised concerns about the safety of the children after a double murder in May, earlier this year, a stone’s throw away from the school.

There had been some uncertainty about where to place the students and several options arose, including sharing space with Arima West Government primary.

This was a choice that did not sit well with general secretary of the SDMS Sat Maharaj who felt that the school would lose it character and identity.

Maharaj also asked for the continuation of the construction of a new school which began while the People’s Partnership was in office, but construction stalled when the PNM won the 2015 general election.

Education Minister Anthony Garcia finally made his decision and accepted businessman Raj Jadoo’s offer.

Jadoo said he had offered the space free of charge and the Education Ministry was now refurbishing the building for the children to occupy.

“I had made the offer from the beginning when I heard they were looking to relocate the school. It is just for them to fix it to accommodate the children.”