While most schools are set to reopen today, many will not, due to incomplete or inadequate infrastructure work.
This acording to the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA).
TTUTA President, Martin Lum Kin, in an Express interview, said the association would be monitoring a couple institutions in light of a lack of work being done and infrastructural problems.
Although the July/August vacation may provide an ideal time for maintenance and repairs, he said little to no repairs had been completed during this timeframe.
He told the media house: “Schools by and large have been reopening over the years with a minimal standard of infrastructural works. Our educators have been working under less than adequate standards of work.”
At the St George’s College in Barataria, despite a move to return students to the original compound after it was relocated to the UTT Valsayn campus two years ago, Lum Kin said there was much work to be done on the compound.
“Up to Friday when the Ministry (of Education) saw it fit to have their ribbon cutting ceremony the rest of the compound was not up to the kind of work it should. The school was neglected for over two years because it was moved, there were no updates on the other parts of the compound and now they are rushing to have it reopened,” he said.
He said a number of schools have been neglected, including the Mt Hope Secondary School which was supposed to move from an old compound to a new one, and primary schools such as the Palmiste Government Primary, Preysal Government Primary, and Rousillac Hindu Schools. These schools had been decanted and were awaiting rebuilding.
He said that the Ministry ought to outline how it planned to address these issues.
“It is going to be a challenging academic year because the ministry has also admitted that over 50% of the primary schools have outlived their lifespan and over 30% of secondary schools. The admittance of these statistics does not bring relief or comfort to our members. The question that has to be asked is what the ministry and the government is going to do to address these situations,” he said.
Lum Kin also said that TTUTA was concerned about upgrading and the filling of vacancies within the school system. However he said, the group was waiting to see how these issues would be addressed within the new term.
“We have other concerns of funding as well as the filling of vacancies and upgrades. We know the Ministry is in the process of completing upgrades for teachers who are in the system… We applaud the ministry for that,” he added.
“We will see how things go in the term to fill positions. We want to wish all our educators and professionals a successful upcoming year. We know the educators are awaiting the start and set and ready to go. We wish them all the best. We look forward to the ministry of education fulfilling its mandate in supporting our schools and providing the resources,” he said.