No school again for Carapichaima Anglican Primary

For a second day students of Carapichaima Anglican Primary School were told to go home yesterday by their principal because buses did not show up.

Public relations officer of the school’s PTA Calisha Harry told Newsday the situation was becoming unbearable for the teachers, students, parents and the principal.

Harry said she believed nothing was put in place during the July/August vacation for the students.

Carapichaima Anglican Primary School was deemed uninhabitable and the students were relocated to California Government Primary School.

She said while the principal went to the school to ensure there was a smooth transition to transport the students from Carapichaima to California, at 9 am the principal took the record of students who came out, then sent them back home.

“The parents and children are very frustrated at this time. The principal and all the teachers went to California Government Primary School this morning, but the 141 students were set back for another day because there were no buses.

“When she (the principal) goes to California she will put them down as present in the roll book.

"Up to this time the ministry did not give us any word if the buses would come today, tomorrow or from next week.”

Harry explained that Carapichaima Anglican Primary School was very accessible for students because those who lived close to the school could walk and some had van drivers to bring them to school.

She said it was very challenging for the children to obtain the free education they were entitled to, which was also putting a strain on their parents.

“It is hard for the children to travel, because they come from single-parent, low-income families. They are dependent on the buses which the ministry said they will provide to transport the children. For these children to travel from Carapichaima to California will be very challenging.

“They will have to travel out of Carapichaima to St Mary’s Junction. Then they have to wait for a car or a maxi, which is $7-$9.

"These children sometimes do not have breakfast to start off their day, far less (money) for them to travel.”

Harry called on Education Minister Anthony Garcia to do all the necessary work to provide the buses to accommodate the children.

She said, “It is not easy waking up these children so early every morning only for them to be sent back home. Yet the ministry put out a media release saying schools were opened with little to minor incidents and these 141 students cannot open a textbook to learn something up to now. It is unfair and becoming very frustrating."

When contacted, Garcia said the ministry had allocated two maxi taxis from PTSC to transport the children and another would be allocated.

"PTSC was unable for the second day to get transport however, I received information that PTSC has been able to contact two buses (maxi taxis). The reason they did not show up I was told they did not pass the inspection.

"Two maxis have been secured and they will be ready for tomorrow and they are still looking for a third maxi taxi in the event there are any hiccups. These will make two or three trips which will be available for tomorrow (today)."

Garcia said it was the ministry's responsibility to provide access to the schools for children because the ministry's mandate was that every child of school age must be educated.

He said the ministry had jurisdiction over more than 700 private, primary and secondary schools and there would always be hiccups.

"We are trying our best to deal with the situation."