Garcia responds to protest at Montrose Vedic

Garcia promised this after meeting with the school’s principal and executives of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) yesterday afternoon on the school’s premises. Last week, the PTA and students protested and teachers refused to continue working because they were being bitten by, what has been called, “invisible mites” which have scarred some students with rashes and made others ill. They clamoured for the school to be temporarily relocated to the National Enrichment Centre in Carlsen Field while the problem was rectified.

Garcia said that the Centre is suitable and can house the school’s 525 students, but his attempts to contact the Social Development and Family Services Minister Cherrie-Ann Crichlow-Cockburn for approval have been unsuccessful.

“I have been trying to contact the Minister. Unfortunately, I have not been able to do so but I will continue to contact her. But as soon as we get approval from the Minister - and I am sure we will get that approval because we have been told that nothing is going on at that site at the moment - we will move the school from this site to that site at Carlsen field.

We are hoping that that can be accomplished in a very short space of time, perhaps in a matter of days.” The Education Ministry commissioned the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI) to perform an investigation into the cause of the biting last October, but the report has not been produced.

Asked by Newsday why the report was yet produced, Garcia said he could not say but assured that the permanent secretary would see that it is delivered soon.

However, Minister in the Ministry of Education, Dr Lovell Francis, chimed in and said the report was given to them.

He then responded to rumours that the report was not provided by the CARIRI because the Ministry had not yet paid for it.

“The report was paid for,” Francis said. “We have a preliminary report which was provided before the last school term ended. We have received the entire report.

We will now vet the report and we will plot a solution going forward.” Asked by Newsday when the report was given to them, Francis said, “that I cannot answer” but he said it would be vetted this week.

Garcia said that the long-term plans for the school may involve a complete relocation as there is a “body of opinion” that most of the problems in the school arose due to its proximity to the Chaguanas market. However, that would require approval and cooperation by the Vedic Board.

Protests also raged today at the Mayo RC, La Fillette RC and the Reform Hindu schools, each calling for repairs and relocation from the Ministry of Education.

Garcia said his Ministry remains committed to alleviating all the issues.