Parents: Beware of uncaring school

THE EDITOR: Up until Friday March 12, my daughter was enrolled at an early childhood school in St Joseph. Her father arrived to collect her at the usual time only to find the school locked, not an official in sight, and the child and two other children in the ‘‘care’’ of the janitor employed at the adjacent Primary School. He was then informed that “they say school was half day.” Whether or not we were duly informed of early dismissal is not being disputed, in fact, it is irrelevant since they would have ditched their responsibility the same way if school were dismissed the usual time. The only explanation I was offered when I contacted the school was that the teacher had “an important meeting to attend and she had an arrangement with the cleaner.”

Is she insane? Even if her academic training couldn’t help her in this situation, as a mother I expected her to know better. Needless to say, I am appalled that the women employed at that institution could be so oblivious to the dangers that they had exposed my innocent and vulnerable daughter to. Why was I asked to complete a registration form detailing our contact information (home, work and cell numbers, our work and home addresses)? In fact I may have even submitted the contact information of my babysitter. The school does not have a land line, but the government school next door does. The teachers have cell phones and I’m sure they could have located a pay phone close by if calling me or my husband on their mobile was too expensive. However, they have made it abundantly clear that once they have ‘‘business to attend to’’ they shall attend to it, even if it means that a child left in their charge pays the price. After all, the children’s safety is not a priority when compared to the “important meetings,” Parents beware!

S PROTAIN
Curepe