Litany of woes at El Dorado school

Concerned teachers told Newsday about a litany of problems being experienced at the school, ranging from a fire to drug use and vandalism, which are similar to incidents at other secondary schools. They said seven day suspensions imposed on students are not working as the students are treating the action as a joke.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the teachers said the indiscipline has been brewing over the past year. They pointed out that last month a student set fire to several posters in a classroom which had to quickly be put out to avoid a major disaster. The matter was not reported to the police or the fire services. However, officers from the Tunapuna Police Station were summoned to the school to speak to students. A student was eventually suspended for seven days.

The incident occurred around the same time as the two fires in the boys’ bathroom at the Arima Senior Comprehensive School. Those fires were also not reported to the police.

Teachers at El Dorado also said there have been incidents of vandalism to their vehicles during the last month. Newsday was told that on one occasion, the muffler of a teacher’s car was stuffed with paper, while the air from a tyre was released from another teacher’s car. Yet another teacher found a star drawn on her bonnet, and earlier this week police were forced to visit the school after a Form One teacher reported that her car was vandalised. Police reports indicated the teacher’s car was "scratched right around." That incident occurred after the teacher spoke to a student about her indiscipline in the classroom. It was reported that the student used stabbing tactics with a pen to intimidate the teacher.

On yet another occasion, a teacher was pushed through a doorway after she blocked the exit to prevent students from leaving. It is reported that the teacher wanted the students to complete a class assignment. One student was suspended for seven days for that incident. Teachers say there is also the case of a colleague absenting herself from classes for the last five weeks because of the students’ behaviour.

"She is fed up and scared of their actions," said one teacher.

There are also reports of students smoking marijuana, drinking alcohol and having sex on the compound. A teacher said when the matter was brought to the attention of administration, they were told, "come on we were all children."

The teachers argue that, "We feel as though we are on trial and the students are running the school, because we are never supported by the administrators. Everything that happens is shoved under the carpet."

They also accused the security guards of not doing their jobs, as students who are known to cause trouble are allowed on the compound without having their bags checked.

The teachers say the suspensions are not effective because students see it as "a holiday." They insist the Ministry of Education should establish better mechanisms to deal with undisciplined students. Teachers have also criticised the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA), claiming the school representative is not addressing their concerns. School officials were unavailable for comment last Friday.