TTUTA, PTA await news on Pt Fortin East Sec

TTUTA and the Point Fortin East Secondary School Parent Teachers Association (PTA) are awaiting news on assessments being done at the school to determine when classes will resume.

On Monday, PTA members staged yet another protest outside the school over several infrastructural repairs.

After roll call on Monday, classes were called off for the day. There have been no classes since Monday. Minister of State in the Education Ministry, Dr Lovell Francis, visited the school last week Tuesday and again on Tuesday of this week. Occupational Health and Safety Agency (OSHA) officials also visited on Tuesday gone.

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.” TTUTA president Antonia De Freitas on Thursday said the union has not received any updates on the repairs.

On Monday, De Freitas said OSHA had issued three prohibition notices about different parts of the school. PTA president Tafara Lewis said the PTA is waiting for reports on electrical and engineering assessments. She added this will determine when classes could resume or if alternative arrangements have to be made for students, especially those doing school-based assessments.

Education Ministry officials on Thursday were hopeful that some of the repairs will be completed soon. They said they were told they should be completed by the weekend.

Ministry officials said between last July and August, repairs included refurbishing staff washrooms; replacing guttering from Block C to Q; replacing the ceiling in Blocks P and M and the library; and installing additional electrical outlets in the library and staff room.

Last December, emergency work included cleaning and de-sludging the sewer; replacing sewer pumps; repairing the control panel; and repairing/replacing gas lines and gas taps. The cost was just over $700,000.

Refurbishing the closed student washrooms; replacing louvres in one block and overhauling the auditorium stage are among the repairs scheduled to be done.