MIC-IT repairs school furniture for new term

In a release, the MICIT said the Ministry of Education has engaged the institute to repair furniture from 25 secondary schools in a pilot school furniture repair programme which began in July. Some 3,143 pieces of furniture are to be repaired before school opens.

The release quoted manager of the construction and facilities maintenance department (CFMD), Safiya Alexander, as saying, “While we have conducted itemised repairs, we intend to have repairs executed as needed throughout the school term. This way we create a buffer stock of school furniture to ensure that when repairs are needed, classes will continue without any disruption.” The programme has created employment for a number of MIC-IT graduates in welding, carpentry and joinery.

On the programme, the MIC-IT will repair and refurbish nine different types of school furniture. They include metal, wooden and upholstered chairs, metal and wooden stools, metal and wooden desks.

All furniture are to be delivered before the opening of the new school term. A total of 450 single-seat metal chairs have already been delivered to the El Dorado East Secondary School.

MIC-IT’s chief executive officer Anil Ramnarine said the continuous furniture repair programme meant, “There will be a full complement of maintained furniture throughout the academic year and no child will be turned away due to unavailable accommodation.” School supervisor 1, Sarran Mungal said wastage would be reduced through the re-utilisation of damaged furniture. “When we reduce, reuse and recycle, we are helping the environment as well as reducing the eyesore of piled furniture, which has become breeding grounds for pests in the school compound.” The MIC-IT said routine maintenance and prevention remains a far more cost-effective solution than allowing furniture to reach a state of complete disrepair.

The release added that while MIC-IT was known for its training and industry services and even engineering components its recently formed CFMD now provided high-quality, low cost, building and maintenance solutions to the construction industry.