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  • 1 year ago
The new academic year starts for primary and secondary schools on Monday September 2nd. The Ministry of Education has said all schools will reopen, but the President of the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association Martin Lum Kin is uncertain as to how seamless that process would be. He points to a number of infrastructural issues in some schools at this time.
Alicia Boucher has more in this report.
Transcript
00:00One of the schools of major concern for the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association is Mount Hope Secondary.
00:07Tutors President Martin Lumpkin says officials from the Education Ministry have recommended emergency works on that school,
00:14which is supposed to be in the second phase of the vacation repair program.
00:19We were told that in three of the four Form 3 classes, the ceiling has fallen down.
00:27And so they have to now find a way to relocate those students.
00:31He suspects that works will have to continue even as school is reopened.
00:37According to Lumpkin, complaints have also come in from St. Joseph Secondary and Aranguas North Secondary.
00:44We have schools that are incomplete. So you have Presell Government Primary School.
00:49When I passed there on a morning, I am deeply troubled to see the condition that the new building was left.
00:57And these occupants are languishing in a community center.
01:03Tutor states that Palmis Government Primary and Pinal RC schools are others facing a similar relocation predicament.
01:11And the Ministry of Education did admit at their press conference last week,
01:15over 50% of the primary schools have outlived their lifespan.
01:20Over 36% of secondary schools, ECCE 12%.
01:25This is to me an indictment on the Ministry of Education and by extension, the government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
01:32In this regard, TUJA has its own view on the reopening of schools.
01:36We are not as confident as the Honorable Minister of Education that all schools will be reopened.
01:43But then again, there have been instances where our principals, our administrators have been coerced into opening the schools,
01:53even though they would have indicated to the Ministry of Education that they have concerns about the infrastructure, health and safety.
02:02Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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