15 schools closed today for CXC exams

As the new school term begins today, with thousands of students heading off to classes for the first time this year, 15 secondary schools will be closed today to facilitate CXC exams.

This was announced by Education Minister Anthony Garcia on Friday at a media conference at the ministry’s offices, Port of Spain. He said the schools will be closed as students will be writing the January version of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) examinations. The schools are: Malabar Secondary, Waterloo Secondary, Chaguanas South Secondary, Marabella North Secondary, Siparia West Secondary;

Fyzabad Secondary, Point Fortin East Secondary, El Dorado East Secondary, Mt Hope Secondary, Tranquility Secondary, South East Port of Spain Secondary, Woodbrook Secondary, Sixth Form Government Secondary and Diego Martin North Secondary. Garcia said the schools will open for all students tomorrow.

At the same press conference, Garcia said three schools have been identified as possibly giving the ministry some problems and posing some challenges: SEPOS, Couva West Secondary School and Edinburgh Government Primary School.

He said, “We are keeping our fingers crossed because we have contractors on board and we are hoping that even if those schools cannot open their doors on Monday (today) that in the not too distant future these schools would be available for our students.”

He also reported that repairs, including work on the three schools (SEPOS, Couva West and Edinburgh Govt) during the Christmas vacation period, had cost $38,179,907 while and emergency work cost $39,732,593, for a total of $77,912,500.