Frustrated that their new school has not yet been completed, students and parents of Chatham Government Primary School yesterday staged a fiery protest, demanding that the Ministry of Education complete their building.
The school which is 95 per cent complete, started under the People’s Partnership government but since the People’s National Movement took office in September 2015, no further work was done.
In an interview yesterday, president of the PTA Denise Williams said a total of 141 students have been housed at the Southern Gardens Early Childhood Centre at Warden Road, Point Fortin, while the new school was being built since 2013.
“It is unbearable for the children to continue to remain there. The ECC Centre caters for 50 preschoolers and there is not enough space in there to properly accommodate the Chatham students. There is barely any walking space in the school. The classrooms are separated by a black-board and there is no proper ventilation,” she said. She said the teachers use fans to keep the classrooms cool.
“We have electrical cords everywhere and this is a hazard for the students,” Williams said.
She also revealed that a student fell down and broke his arm two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, councillor for Cedros Shankar Teelucksingh accused the Government of victimising the children from the south western peninsula.
Contacted yesterday, Minister in the Ministry of Education Dr Lovell Francis said completion of the Chatham Government Primary School was a priority for the Ministry.
“Chatham is one of the schools we are organising to restart. We are in process of working with EFCL (Education Facilities Company Ltd) to see how that can be done. By the end of this week I will know for sure how we are progressing,” Francis said. He said that there were several other schools which the Ministry planned to complete as they were close to completion.
Francis said the Ministry will also look at how the conditions could be improved at the ECC Centre. He said he had no problems meeting with the protesting parents.
