More holistic homework centres needed, Harvey

“We have a lot of pre-schools. What we don’t have enough of is the homework centres which are more than just care centres for children after school.

(They) have to become, more and more, places where the problems that children face in the schools are able to be seen on a more individual basis, analysed and corrected...

Let’s face it, some of those problems require psychological or psychiatric help, so some of that money is also going to go towards that.” The Roman Catholic priest was responding to a call by President of the Single Fathers Association (SFA), Rhondall Feeles, that homework centres to be turned into day care centres, particularly during holidays, so that fathers have an affordable place to leave their children while they are at work.

“We have a serious problem in Port-of- Spain, where people living in Port-of-Spain can’t get their children into schools in Portof- Spain because everybody’s heading for the city, so they want their children to have a space in a city school,” Harvey said.

“I manage two primary schools and I’m seeing that for myself.

This makes homework centres for the children in these areas even more important because the children are being sidelined into schools that are not your primary schools of substance and, more and more, they’re needing that individual attention and individual care. So while I understand the concern of the president of the SFA, I really think that these centres, if you turn them into pre-schools, you’re going to be defeating the purpose of the best of your homework centres.” Harvey explained that in an effort to achieve a more holistic approach at its own homework centre, the Community Intervention for Transformation and Empowerment (CIT+E) Centre in Gonzales, Belmont, which he runs, has “gone into an experimental research phase.” “We’re not just satisfied with helping children with home work...An essential part of what we’re doing will be to work with the kids, especially with their parents and caregivers, to try and make sure that we really understand them, because I’m convinced that one of the problems that we face in Trinidad and Tobago today (stems from) a lack of understanding of the problems that the children themselves face in their own homes.” Harvey was speaking with reporters yesterday following the dedication of a room at the CIT+E Centre to the memory of Michael Mansoor, former Executive Chairman of CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank (FirstCaribbean).

The bank also donated TT $50,000 to support the work of the centre. Harvey said the money would be used for several things, including the continued operation of “The Workplace of Tomorrow” room which was dedicated in Mansoor’s memory.

“We also have to pay one or two tutors who will do the work of teaching people how to use a computer to earn a living. That’s what The Workplace of Tomorrow is about - people should be able to develop their computer skills to such a level that they can in fact use those skills to earn a living.” Some of the money will be used to maintain the homework centre there, including paying some tutors and the use of computers to teach computer skills to the children of Gonzales.