St George's College students, parents happy at new Valsayn location

Education Minster Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly has said repairs at St George's College in Barataria are ongoing.

Meanwhile students and parents say they are happy at the school’s temporary home at the UTT Teachers’ College, Valsayn.

Speaking during the Standing Finance Committee meeting in Parliament on Tuesday, the Education Minister said the work at the school was being paid for via a loan which had been taken to deal with 26 schools of focus.

“The intention is that in this fiscal (year), the extensive works on the original St George's building will be complete and the school will be able to move back into the building.

"The work that is being done there is just over $10 million. It’s extensive roofing works and some other things that are allocated for that school and it’s ongoing at this time.”

Sunday Newsday visited the Valsayn campus on Wednesday and spoke to several parents and students arriving at school. Everyone preferred the new location.

Marlon Bernard said, “It’s convenient to me because it’s closer to home. My daughter told me she’s more comfortable than where she was at the other school. The classrooms are air-conditioned – every day she walks with a hoodie because of the cold.”

Another parent, whose son had just started in September, said all the classrooms were air-conditioned, although some classrooms did not have AC initially, but this was sorted out quickly in the first week of school.

A fourth-form student said there were both positives and negatives at the new location, one major positive being the air-conditioning.

“It’s a bigger space, so it doesn’t feel as cramped as George’s, but I kind of miss it because I feel like I’m away from home. I’m not in any rush to go back.”

A sixth-form student said, “It wasn’t in our control to stay in Barataria with the rain and stuff, but I would say the principal and administration of the school have been trying to give the students a balance between comfort and schoolwork.

"Hopefully we’ll be back in Barataria sometime in the future, but as of right now, I’d say the students are comfortable, other than minor issues.”

He said one issue had been the transition between the two sites, as the students were going somewhere that was foreign to them.

A parent said his daughter had had no major fallout from being at the school's new location, and he liked it.

“This location is better for me in terms of negotiating traffic, getting to school in a shorter time. So I would be happy for it to stay until she finishes school.”

Another parent said not having to deal with as much traffic was a great advantage.

“Also, because it’s such a big campus, the children feel like they have more space. They’re not afraid if the building going to fall down, and all the classes are airconditioned, which is a huge thing in the heat right now.

"I’m actually glad they’re here still. My son is glad as well, because they have so much more space, while in the other campus it’s hot and it’s cramped.

“It’s the second oldest government school in the country, so you’re looking for subvention to not repair but build over the whole school, because it’s an old school.

"My son told me that they were told that they may be moved back in the next six months, but he said he doesn’t want to go back, and I’d prefer if he didn’t either.

“I think they started some repair works, but you’re going to repair the places where the roof fell down, but then the other part of the infrastructure might not be up to scratch, so we’re thinking, why are we going back there if it’s not so wonderful?

"Of course the children are thinking, 'This is Trinidad,' because when we moved here, the ministry said they’d be here for six weeks, and it’s been a year and change, so I said he’d probably finish school here, as he’s in fifth form.”

One parent said she enjoyed not having to deal with traffic to get to school.

She didn’t think work had started on the school in Barataria.

“Initially when we moved there was a problem with flooding in the bathrooms, but that has been sorted out. My only concern is the labs, as my daughter is doing sciences. I hope that when it’s time, the school will be properly prepared for it.”

When Sunday Newsday visited the original, Barataria site on Wednesday, scaffolding was seen around the auditorium. The front of the school had been blocked off with blue galvanised sheets. There were no signs of activity other than what sounded like an AC compressor.