Cumana AC students protest for new school

PARENTS and students of the Cumana AC Primary School yesterday came to town to protest the delay in the construction of a new school. The group left Cumana in Toco just before 7 am in two hired maxi-taxis to let Education Minister Hazel Manning know their concerns. The small group gathered outside the minister’s office at Hayes Street, St Clair, just after 9 am with placards, shouting “help” and “we want we school right now.” Their pleas attracted the attention of ministry officials, who later called in three parents to a meeting with representatives of the ministry. Prior to that meeting, the parents told Newsday that the children were moved out of the school building in June, 2004. They were told the building would have been demolished in July of that year, and construction would start in October 2004. The infants department was relocated to the Cumana SDA Primary School and those in Standard One to Five were sent to the Cumana RC Primary School.

However, nothing has been done at the site to date. The parents said they were shown plans for a new school building and had a meeting with officials of the ministry. Almost two years since that relocation, however, the parents said they are fed-up of waiting and “being given the run-around.” The school’s PTA chairman, Joan Bannister, said the school has 101 students. She complained that principal Johnny Williams is forced to commute between the RC and SDA schools daily to ensure everything was okay with the students. Furthermore, Bannister said Williams also has to teach, as there is a shortage of teachers. The parents said they decided to come to Port-of-Spain to protest, as that was the way things seem to get done. They expressed anger at having to adopt the approach, saying, “Because we are behind God back, we are forgotten. The school is a vibrant school, and even in the current position, parents have enrolled students to attend the school.”

“All we want is a new school with space for the children’s recreation, not no big fancy three-storey thing.” Jessica Murray-Glasgow, a parent who attended the meeting, told Newsday they were assured that the school will be built and not be closed as rumoured. She said while no date for the start of construction had yet been given, they were told that a second geographic survey will be conducted next week to ensure that all is well with the land before construction can start. She said the parents were invited to another meeting in a month’s time at the ministry. In the interim, she said the ministry officials indicated that they will ensure that the students of the school are comfortable at their relocated schools. Efforts will also be made to prevent conflict which is brewing as a result of the shared accommodation. Murray-Glasgow said they will also attempt to have a meeting with the Anglican Board, as blame for the delay is being shifted between the board and the ministry.