Pt Fortin East remains closed

THERE were no classes at Point Fortin East Secondary School on Tuesday leaving members of the school’s parent teachers association (PTA) upset and frustrated about how the students would be affected.

On Monday, members of the PTA staged another protest outside the school’s compound over several infrastructural repairs to be done at the school.

After the roll call on Monday, classes were called off for the rest of the day. PTA president Tafara Lewis said there were no classes on Tuesday. She said Minister of State in the Education Ministry Dr Lovell Francis visited the school to look at the repairs which needed to be done.

Francis had visited the school on Monday.

Lewis said Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) officials also visited the school on Tuesday and met with principal Ainsley Gopaul. She added that neither Francis nor members of the PTA were involved in the meeting.

Lewis said the PTA was informed after the meeting that electrical and engineering assessments at the school still needed to be done. She said, once that happened, the PTA will be told when teachers will be returning to work and when classes will resume. Lewis added the situation remains worrying for parents, especially for those with children who have school-based assessments to do.

TTUTA president Antonia De Freitas also said the union was awaiting the electrical and engineering assessments at the school. She said TTUTA was aware of Francis’ second visit to the school. Francis said, “We have started making the repairs which can be completed within a week.”

He added, “So we are working along with OSHA to have the prohibition notices lifted as quickly as possible.”

On Monday, De Freitas said three prohibition notices had been issued by OSHA regarding different parts of the school.

Ministry officials said between last July and August, repair works at the school included refurbishment of staff washrooms; replacement of guttering from Block C to Q; replacement of the ceiling in Blocks P and M and the library; installation of additional electrical outlets in the library and staff room. Last December, there were emergency works that included cleaning and desludging of the sewer; replacement of sewer pumps; repair to the control panel; repair/replacement of gas lines and gas taps. The cost of these works was just over $700,000.

Refurbishment of the closed student washrooms; replacement of louvres in Block J and overhaul of the auditorium stage are among the works scheduled to be done at the school.