Plea for security for Lady Hochoy School

Pleading with the relevant authorities to “at least install an alarm system” at the Lady Hochoy School in Cocorite, which has been vandalised three times within the last three weeks, Sister Bertill yesterday called for additional security guards to be placed at the school during the day and night. Sister Bertill who is in charge at the Home, told Newsday that if additional guards were assigned to the school, it would take some of the burden off the teachers, who have been forced to operate as security persons, stopping unauthorised visitors to the school. Taking Newsday on a tour of the school, which is separate from the Lady Hochoy Home, Sister Bertill said the latest break-in occurred between 1 and 1.30 pm on Saturday.

The vandals gained entry into the school by smashing the main door to the school, and proceeded to ransack the office and cupboards in various classrooms. One computer was stolen and the walls at the front of the school were spray-painted with the names of two “sprangers” from the area. In addition, part of the burglar-proofing to the computer room had been gouged out by the vandals. Sister Bertill explained the computers had been removed from the school building and had been stacked against the back wall of the compound, as the persons were probably waiting on nightfall to remove the equipment. However, she surmised that the return of the school’s steelpan players had frightened the vandals who ran, leaving the equipment behind.

While this is not the first time this has happened, Sister Bertill said there is a need to prevent more incidents of this nature, and she firmly believes if guards are placed at the school, it will impact on the goings-on at the school. Insisting that she was only asking for “what is right and just for them as children of the nation who are at risk,” Sister Bertill said representatives of the Ministry of Education and Social Services Unit had visited the school. Stating that she has been asking the Ministry of Education for the last two years to increase the guards at the school, Sister Bertill is hoping that this latest request will be treated with some urgency as the school is in a “high risk area.” When Newsday contacted the Education Ministry for a comment, we were assured that the matter was being reviewed by both the Education and Social Development Ministries. Meanwhile, Sister Bertill is urging parents to send their children to school as classes have fully resumed.