Point Fortin East PTA wants meeting with Garcia

The PTA of the Point Fortin East Secondary School is calling for a meeting with Education Minister Anthony Garcia to solidify plans to start rebuilding their school.

President of the association, Tafara Lewis, said the school has been closed since the second day of the new term. There was a fire at the administrative block and the association is attributing this to faulty electrical work.

“Since the Ministry of Education is ready to do repair work, the PTA would like to meet with them to start planning so that the work can get done sooner rather than later.”

An upset Lewis said the minister in the ministry, Dr Lovell Francis, visited the school on Tuesday and promised that work will begin almost immediately.

“The PTA is not satisfied with this visit, and we want the Education Minister to know that the students’ education is being disrupted and this is why we are calling on them to meet with us urgently.”

The association, she said, would like to offer suggestions for the repair work to be done with the least amount of disruption to students.

The ministry said, while the association has concerns about the school, the ministry spent $700,000 doing repair work during the July/August vacation. The ministry said work done included the installation of additional electrical outlets in the library and staff room, sewer repairs, replacement of ceilings in Blocks P, M and in the library. There was also a replacement of guttering from Blocks C to Q and refurbishment of staff washrooms.

The association is questioning the ministry’s claim.

In a media release, the ministry said, “Despite the financial challenges experienced nationally, it planned to spend a further $700,000-plus on an additional seven projects at the school. Work will be done to the ceiling; electrical work to Block B; refurbishment of students’ washrooms; repairs to staff room staircase; replacement of louvres in Block J; overhaul of auditorium stage and the air conditioning in room C of the prefabricated building.”

Lewis said the association has since written to the ministry and is awaiting a reply.