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Minister, senior education officials meet parents, teachers of burnt-out school
– Propose alternative venues
Minister of Education Priya Manickchand along with senior officials of the Ministry of Education and regional officials yesterday met with teachers and parents of One Mile Primary School in Wismar, to recommend and discuss alternative accommodation arrangements for the students of that school who have been displaced, due to its recent destruction by fire.
Chairman of the proceedings, Pastor Selwyn Sills, in his opening remarks regarding the recent torching of the school, posited that what was set out to be a stumbling block, is instead going to be a
Minister Manickchand and other education officials at the Wismar Hill Primary.
stepping stone.
Minister Manickchand said that she was ‘glad’ to be in Linden, though not glad about the reason for the visit. In her brief comments before outlining alternative ‘housing’ arrangements for the students, she declared that the children of One Mile Primary School “would not be disadvantaged, as the only way that children can have a future and better life, is through education”.
The first proposal put forward by the Minister was for the pupils of grade one, who number about 150, to be accommodated at the One Mile Nursery School extension block. It was further suggested that those pupils, attend classes from 7:30 to 11:30 am, while classes for those pupils in Grade two would be held from 12:00 hrs to 16:00hrs.
On the other hand it was proposed that the students of grades three, four and five, numbering some four hundred and twenty-one, be housed at Wismar Hill Primary, while the pupils of grade six should be accommodated at the Block 22 Community Centre.
Concern was raised by one parent, about the capacity of the extension block of the One Mile Nursery school, to house the grades one and two students, even on a shift system. It was then suggested by another parent that the entire school could be occupied by the One Mile Primary pupils after the Nursery School pupils are dismissed at 12:00 hrs.
That suggestion found favour with most of the teachers and parents.
It was also proposed that St Aidan’s Primary School be used as another venue to house the displaced students, but this proposal was rejected outright.
The gathering of teachers and parents
Meanwhile, concerns about the capacity of the Wismar Hill Primary to house grades three, four and five were raised.
The Headmistress of One Mile Primary, Stephanie St Claire, while voicing concerns about the pupils of her school being housed in separate locations, where they would not be under her watch, acknowledged that some amount of discomfort has to be endured now, for betterment later.
St Claire in her closing remarks quipped, ‘’remember, we are not at home!”
Pastor Sills, meanwhile, encouraged the gathering of concerned parents and teachers that they should consider the options that were outlined, and anything that they would have agreed to they should not ‘renege’ on later on.
Sills also suggested the setting up of a few pre-fabricated buildings, to house the students.
As it relates to using St Aidan’s Primary as one of the alternative venues, it was suggested by a teacher that school buses could be used to transport the children, as many parents complained about the distance to the school, and the desolate areas that their children would have to ‘navigate’ to get to the institution. The issue of parents not being able to afford taxis to transport their children to and from the school was also highlighted.
On the question of Government’s contribution towards the rebuilding of One Mile Primary, Minister Manickchand said that there had not yet been talks in this regard, but that she was going to pursue the topic.
Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon, who was also present, pointed out that it was important that the presently displaced students “do not miss one day” of their education.
“We may not have the ideal conditions and situation that we look forward to, but at the end of the day, the onus is on us to work collectively to provide the opportunities for these children,” he emphasised.
Solomon described the meeting as part of a consultative process, as what is most important is for the parents, teachers and participants to sit, discuss and have an understanding of what is being provided for the children.
He added that the only area that was not finalized was “having the acknowledgement of the church” which was expected to be done later yesterday.
A confirmation from the church, concerning usage of the building, would minimize or eliminate the need for double sessions, Solomon pointed out. (Enid Joaquin)
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