TTUTA: No consultations before 176 students relocated

Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly said the 176 students of the Palmiste Government Primary School who were affected by a December fire have all been relocated. However, Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) said it is gravely concerned, claiming it was not consulted by the ministry.

Gadsby-Dolly made her remarks on Wednesday in a WhatsApp conversation with Newsday. She did not go into many specifics, but said some students were relocated to the Longdenville Government Primary School and others to the newly built Edinburgh 500 Community Centre.

The centre which cost $13 million, was officially opened on December 28 by the acting Minister of Sport and Community Development Randall Mitchell. Gadsby-Dolly did not comment on whether restoration work on the burned school has begun or the cost to rebuild/repair it.

However, TUTTA in a statement on Wednesday, described the relocation process as ad hoc and disorganised saying the school’s principal must now manage two separate compounds. The release also addressed St Therese Roman Catholic Primary School, whose compound is being shared with Poole Roman Catholic Primary School.

The statement, signed by TUTTA president Martin Lum Kin, highlighted L’Anse Noire Moravian Primary School's infrastructure and equipment as "deteriorating," before turning its attention to St Dominic’s Penal Primary School, saying it has been decanted for over seven years. Lum Kin said the deterioration of infrastructure continues to be an issue at many schools.

"The threat to safety is a reality. Schools have not had furniture replaced for many years. Primary schools, secondary schools and district offices have not received funding for the academic year 2023–24, and administrators are challenged on a daily basis."

The statement ended with TTUTA acknowledging the economic challenges facing the country and calling on the ministry to address its concerns in a timely manner.

Speaking with Newsday via WhatsApp, Lum Kin said TUTTA as the recognised majority union was not consulted at any point in time, something the union sees as insult.

"Any attempt to alter the terms and conditions of employment, in this case a relocation of our members, has to be discussed with the recognised union"

He said teachers were given instructions in the absence of an official letter bearing the letterhead of the ministry and the signature of the authorising officer.

"There appears to be little to no planning since the area designated to house teachers and students at the Longdenville Government Primary School, was not prepared, there is insufficient furniture and in some instances there were infrastructural issues."

Lum Kin said TTUTA believes the MoE had sufficient time during the vacation to ensure that preparations were made to have the school reopen with the minimal amount of problems.

Newsday spoke with Tessa Smith, president of the Caroni's leg of the Parent Teachers Association, on Wednesday, she said standard four and five pupils have been relocated to the Edinburgh facility and commended the Ministry's effort to not disrupt students writing the Secondary Assessment Exams (SEA), saying it was a concern of the PTA.

Smith said she toured the newly built facility and is satisfied with its amenities."It looks really nice and they could accommodate them very comfortably, at least the SEA classes, so the children don't lose the valuable teaching time that they need. At this point, they'll be doing past papers and stuff, I believe SEA is the focal point and the reasoning behind the ministry's decisions."

She said no meetings were held between the ministry and parents regarding the relocation. She said if a meeting did occur, it was done without any consultation with the PTA, which is a breach of protocol. When asked if she was aware of any meetings between the MoE and TUTTA, she did not know.

In December, Lum Kin spoke to Newsday and expressed sadness over the fire. He was hopeful the MoE would have the students relocated by January while taking into consideration any financial challenges some families may face.

In the December phone interview, he cautioned the ministry about having the relocation become a permanent base, citing past experiences where schools remained in the relocated building for an extended period. Lum Kin said a meeting with the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education and TUTTA was scheduled for January.

On December 7, the Palmiste Government Primary School was gutted by a fire that destroyed over 80 per cent of its structure. The fire started around 1 am and Newsday visited the school the same day.