QRC expresses concern

However, Kenrick Harrinauth, president of the QRC OBA stated they were recently informed via written communication that the property will be assigned to the Police Guard and Emergency Branch.

Harrinauth said: “We are very concerned that once again QRC is being neglected and stymied in its educational development of our nation’s young men.” He added: “The college is short of over 50,000 square feet of space according to the Ministry of Education (MoE) established requirements, yet there seems to be no concern.” At the school’s recent Annual Dinner, Harrinauth, addressed the issue in relation to the property to the West of the College, bounded by Alexandra and Hayes Streets and by St Clair Avenue that belonged to QRC prior to the expansion of the education system back in the 1960s.

He said the parcel of land was under the administration of QRC, and is currently in contention with the Ministry of Education (MoE) over it. Following a meeting of Old Boys Ossie Nurse, Bertie Farrell, Robert Blache-Fraser, William Carter and Justice Rolston Nelson with consultation from Reginald Dumas, the OBA despatched letters to the Ministers of Education and of Public Administration regarding the return of the property to QRC, Harrinauth insisting that two previous Ministers of Education had informally agreed to such return.

An application, that included the Principal’s plans for such use, and in harmony with the government’s policy on education was also submitted for the effective educational use of the property. In 2008, in consideration of the Ministry’s request for an assessment of the possible adaptive reuse of the Ministry buildings, a site visit was proposed and initially agreed. This was subsequently rescinded with a note advising of discussions to be held between the Principal and the Ministry before works could proceed. This meant that design work on the west Block, well advanced, could not be continued until the entire MoE requirements were satisfied, which requirements could not be achieved on the existing campus without encroaching on the playing field.