Palo Seco parents, students protest outside Whitehall

“We want a school, right now,” shouted angry parents and children of Palo Seco Government Primary School yesterday in a lunch-time protest across the road from Whitehall, where Cabinet held its weekly meeting. The demonstration was the latest in a series of protests which began last year when they saw that their school was not included among those to be rebuilt by the Education Ministry. “The school breaking down, it shifting, woodlice eating away the board,” said Bernard Joseph a Standard Five student. Denise Joseph, Secretary of the PTA, said parents have been complaining for the past ten years about the dilapidated condition of the school and the dangers posed to students but the authorities only responded with renovation work.

Parents are questioning the amount of money spent since they have seen little change at the school, which is 63 years old. “They are putting iron beams on rotten rafters, and the beams are falling,” a parent said. He said $59,000 was spent on renovations during the school vacation and last year $300,000 was spent. Termite infestation is still a major problem. A worker fell through a floor earlier this year, and the library cannot be used. This caused the parent to remark that “termites going to school to read books.” Most recently, burglar proofing which was not secured fell and hit a student on his head. “The iron rotting, they doing things too hurry,” declared another parent. The present school structure is too small for the 430 children who attend classes there. Consequently, classes are held outside and the students are “constantly distracted by passing traffic.” The absence of a sidewalk outside the school is another cause for concern. A five-year-old second year student was knocked down while walking from school with her older sister. The parents criticised the representation they are receiving from their Member of Parliament Hedwidge Bereaux and Councillor Philip Salazar, saying they were only giving promises.

Education Minister Hazel Manning, who was leaving Whitehall, saw the protest and came over to speak with the parents. She assured them that their school is among those to be rebuilt and blamed the media for the omission of the school on the list publicised. Manning said the Principal of the school was informed and the consultants would contact her. She said designs for a new structure will soon start. She told the parents that the Ministry is conducting a survey to determine what needs to be done because 50 percent of the 488 primary schools in TT are in “very bad” condition. Manning said she had a meeting to attend but invited the parents to go to the Ministry and she would speak to them.