Rambachan: MoE creating a disadvantaged class of children

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Rambachan: MoE creating a disadvantaged class of children

Former Opposition MP, Suruj Rambachan has described as a travesty, a report in today’s Newsday newspaper, which indicates that the Ministry of Education has admitted that 30,000 students are still without devices to facilitate online learning.

He said “This has to be a travesty of justice and very disadvantageous to these 30,000 students. Almost one year since the disruption in formal classroom based teaching and learning took place we still have such a high proportion of our students educationally disenfranchised. It is not right. ”

Rambachan, in a post to his Facebook page, said “The Minster of Education has been depending on private sector donations to fill the gap. This is unfortunate for it also shows how much of the real situation of non possession of laptops and or tablets is appreciated by the Minister.”

“At a cost of 30 US dollars for a tablet it will cost the government approximately 7 million TT dollars to close the gap and bring about some semblance of equal opportunity. The right to education within a supportive and facilitating environment is the passport which our impoverished people will have to create a better future and contribute to national development.”

“As it stands we are facilitating an advantaged class and a disadvantaged class. The private sector cannot be the ones to close this gap. This requires a policy that causes equality of opportunity. To do less will be to fail our children and our responsibility to their future.

Rambachan said “You can’t tell me that the PNM government cannot find 7 million to stop this discrimination. Let this also be an eye opener to the level of real poverty that exists in this country. It is a damming statement as to how we have and continue to spend money in this country while ignoring the real People issues.

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