Respect Education Ministry decision

A delegation from the Presbyterian Primary Schools Board of Education led by Moderator of the Presbyterian Church Reverend Annabelle Lalla-Ramkelawan, met with Education Minister Anthony Garcia at the Education Ministry’s office on St Vincent Street in Port-of-Spain on Tuesday.

In a media statement, Garcia reiterated his commitment to work with the Presbyterian Board to resolve existing problems at the school. He also reminded that the school was condemned by the Ministry of Works and Transport (MOWT) and his Ministry could not act without the Board’s input.

He said, “The Ministry of Works is the authority that decides, so we cannot disregard it.” The Board is also expected to meet with the PTA to “decide a way forward” with a subsequent meeting scheduled to be held with the Board and the Ministry of Education in early October. Presbyterian Church Moderator, Rev Lalla-Ramkelawan later told Newsday, no “concrete decision” had been made with a further meeting to be held with the Ministry in October.

However she said the Board had raised concerns about five other Presbyterian primary schools which were yet to be completed by government. “We are concerned about the five outstanding schools which have not been completed, that is one of our concerns, secondly, that the Princes Town school, we are glad to have a school but the process of acquiring a school has to be followed by both sides and we are meeting with the Minister in the month of October to continue the discussions,” she said. Among the incomplete primary schools are the Longdenville Presbyterian primary school, the Siparia/ Union Presbyterian school and the Piparo Presbyterian primary school.

“At that meeting we are expected to present a proposal concerning this school,” she added. However, the school’s PTA head Ramjohn- Karim said the PTA was not been informed about any meeting with the Board saying parents “could say repair as much as they want, the Ministry is not going to do it and I think the Board has to finally accept that.” “As far as I know, if the decision had been made to demolish the school, then whatever plan has to be drawn for the school, that’s what has to be done so I am waiting just like everyone else and I don’t know what is the purpose of the meeting with the PTA, if any,” she said. She added that students were presently attending classes at the Princes Town Presbyterian primary school #2 on a shift system saying, “they are still there and I don’t know how long now this process is going to take, I don’t know what is going to happen.”