Moonilal upset at incomplete school repairs

OROPOUCHE East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal on Sunday criticised recent remarks by Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly that outstanding repairs to school buildings would be done on evenings and weekends, as he wondered how this state of affairs might affect pupils' health and well-being.

The minister, however, recently seemed to suggest pupils would not be present in a classroom under such conditions of ongoing repair.

Moonilal also called on the police to provide details on the circumstances in which Energy Minister Stuart Young gave them a gun.

He was addressing a news briefing at the Opposition Leader's office in Port of Spain.

Moonilal scoffed, "Now this is laughable. So what happens? When the child leaves the classroom, a construction team comes in to work? And the next morning the child comes in to breathe sawdust? And it becomes a health and safety issue?"

He said TTUTA had sought assurances from contractors that there were no health and safety issues for teachers and pupils.

"Imagine your child leaves at 2.30 pm from the school and a contractor comes in at 3 pm to work until what, six o'clock – because they are not working in the dark?

"And the next morning your child goes in smelling glue, breathing sawdust or some other industrial equipment they use? This is a health and safety disaster."

He said it was much more costly to pay workers for late hours than daytime hours.

Earlier, he alleged, "We are in a state of utter crisis with regard to the school reopening.

"Over two months of what we call the holiday, they have done absolutely nothing. There was no critical repair programme for two months. No provision of furniture."

Moonilal said many parents could not afford to buy schoolbooks and pay transport costs for their children, some of whom end up dropping out.

He alleged the school textbook rental programme had collapsed.

Moonilal alleged the ministry had not renewed the contracts of staff in its Student Support Services, but in contrast the Government had spent millions on building a San Fernando car park and upgrading the Prime Minister's official residence in Tobago.

Gadsby-Dolly, in an immediate WhatsApp message to Newsday, countered, "There are over 800 members of staff in that division, in various units, each with different contract details. Therefore, that broad statement is meaningless, without credibility, and cannot be substantiated."

Last Friday, Gadsby-Dolly, in a voice note, told Newsday some 180 projects attempted during the July/August school repair programme were too extensive to complete, resulting in pupils from four or more schools being unable to attend school physically on Monday.

She said 737 projects were undertaken this year, including 180 projects in July/August, at a cost of $231 million.

Works consisted of four per cent sewer works, 26 per cent electrical, 36 per cent roof repairs, 16 per cent plumbing and 80 per cent miscellaneous (eg air conditioning repair, painting, and landscaping). She commented on four schools where incomplete works will prevent pupils attending in person.

“In those cases, arrangements for a hybrid mode of teaching and learning have been approved, with examination studies being accommodated physically, while other students will be engaged virtually.”