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CCNTV6
  • 1 year ago
A new school year is almost here, but the President of the Trinidad and Tobago National Council of Parent-Teacher Association, Walter Stewart laments, it's the same old story.
Transcript
00:00President of the Trinidad and Tobago National Council of Parent Teacher Association, Walter Stewart,
00:06tells TV6 the relationship between the Ministry of Education and the Teachers Association should
00:12be more collaborative, but that is not the case. He said he is a bit worried about the opening of
00:18the new school year, as there are schools that are in dire need of repair. He believes school
00:24repairs should be done during the July-August vacation. The director of EFPPD, Education
00:30Facilities Planning and Procurement Division, on last Monday recorded that about 143 ECCE
00:38centers, about 451 primary schools, and there are about 128 secondary schools. And he referred to
00:46them as post-design life. In other words, they are in excess of 50 years. There has to be a
00:53closer look at the infrastructure of those schools in particular, let's start with that,
00:59to ensure that we can effect the necessary repairs, rebuilding in some instances, and refurbishing,
01:06so that at all material times, those schools are up and running and ready for the school semester
01:12in September. Mr. Stewart said he's pleased that 23 migrant children will be admitted when school
01:18reopens in September. We endorse the fact that we are embracing our Venezuelan migrants into our
01:26school system, because according to UNESCO's principle, every child is entitled to an
01:32education. So once they are here, legally, according to the migrant process, and they
01:39have been registering every year with us, we want to welcome them. According to Stewart, in order
01:45for the nation's children to excel academically, the foundation has to be laid at the lowest level,
01:51that is, the ECCE and the primary level, laying the groundwork for them to excel
01:57at the secondary level. Sharla Kesto, TV6 News.
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