Hazel blanks P/Town nomination

The Princes Town north constituency was one of five new electoral districts created by the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) and encompasses parts of Princes Town and Ortoire/Mayaro constituencies, which are presently held by UNC MP Subhas Panday and PNM MP and former Works and Transport minister Franklin Khan, respectively.

Speaking to reporters after the formal opening of the Tableland High School in George Village yesterday, Manning said she had no intention of becoming the area’s parliamentary representative although the region’s unemployment rate had declined significantly since assuming the area coordinator portfolio.

“Every senator has an area coordinator and this is my area. Unemployment is down and we are addressing a lot of the social welfare issues that they (the community) are asking for and we are suporting them,” she said.

“Roads are going in, lights are going in and we are really responding to community needs. Sometimes they turn to their representatives and they can’t get it so they turn to other people,” Manning added.

Meanwhile, Manning also responded to questions concerning the six-year delay in formally opening the school which has been in operation since February 12, 2001.

She said the school, which was constructed in 2000, was built without approval of the national curriculum report and ways were now being explored to expand the present facilities to cater for the growing student population.

“We have a new concept brief to give to the architect so that they can build new schools and actually getting the programme up and running and we have spent so much time doing that, so now that that is off and running we can turn attention to opening the schools,” she said.

Manning said the Ministry would soon open an additional 24 new schools which would move away from a content-oriented curriculum to a student-centred curriculum. And asked about the non-completion of the SWAHA primary school which was raised by Nariva MP Harry Partap, at a UNC meeting on Monday, Manning said SWAHA was experiencing financial difficulties but the school was almost 80 percent completed.

“We are right now engaging them to assist in having construction up and running. We are hoping for completion in September,” she said.