ISSUES AT SPEYSIDE HIGH SCHOOL

Parents are upset at the condition of a classroom at the Speyside High School in Tobago. Elizabeth Williams has more on this report.

Transcript

00:00From the onset of last term, there was a situation with the classroom.

00:05After several weeks of my daughter complaining every day about the fact that they have no

00:09classroom to use and they are left having to sit outside on a table, I would have reached

00:15out to school management asking concerning the situation.

00:19The parent told TV6 News officers of the Division of Education are aware of the situation.

00:26Photos and videos of the concerns of the 4A1 classroom were sent to TV6 News, including

00:33an exposed ceiling, mold, water seeping through the ceiling, water seeping through the electrical

00:39units and walls when it rains.

00:43I was told that education said persons assess the situation and they would have told them

00:50they can utilise the classroom.

00:52School management refused to do so because the classroom is not safe.

00:58The ceiling is missing, water coming through the roofs, even through by all the electricals.

01:05The classroom is moldy, the classroom floods.

01:09So it was not safe with all these electrical being exposed and water running by these electrical

01:13wires from the roof.

01:14So school management chose not to allow the children to inhabit it for their own safety.

01:21The concerned parent said students are now housed outside the classroom and at the school

01:27library but that has resulted in a loss of teaching time.

01:31Presently the children are housed in the library when they have classes.

01:36School management now has to find a classroom that is vacant to allow them to utilise it

01:40for studies.

01:41Sometimes by the time they are able to locate a classroom that is free for them to have

01:47classes, most of the class time is gone.

01:49So most times they get barely any teaching time, they are fourth formers, they are heading

01:54into exam class in September.

01:56So you could see the severity of how pertinent the situation is because they are losing out

02:02a lot of the teaching time which means most likely they are behind on what they should

02:06have already covered.

02:07According to the parent, a PTA meeting is set for this Thursday where the matter would

02:13be discussed.

02:14Right now there is a meeting scheduled again for Thursday which will be the usual PTA and

02:19they are asking us, the parents of 4-1, to make sure we are there to raise concerns again

02:25concerning that same classroom situation that persists with no solution to date from education.

02:30The class is just abandoned and the door closed because right now the class is totally covered

02:36in mould.

02:37TV6 News contacted Tutor Tobago Officer Brayden Roberts on the matter.

02:41Mr. Roberts said he is aware of the issue affecting at least two classes at the school

02:47and the concerns were brought to the attention of the Division of Education.

02:53TV6 News contacted Education Secretary Serisha Hackett on the concerns and we are awaiting

02:58a response.

02:59Elizabeth Williams, TV6 News.