Carenage school gets some books — other schools still waiting

While officials of primary schools in the East/West Corridor anxiously await the delivery of the promised textbooks to their respective institutions, one school in Carenage has admitted to actually receiving some of the books.

Speaking to Newsday yesterday, officials of the Carenage Girls Government School said they had received the Language Arts and Mathematics textbooks, as well as the dictionaries and atlases promised to students of Standards II and III, respectively. However, the official said they were hoping to have both the Reading and Science books by the end of the week. To parents who are wondering what their children are being taught in the interim, you can rest assured that they are not “skylarking.” Instead, as Newsday found out, this week is being referred to as “Revision Week” by teachers. Following a visit to the Nelson Street Boys and Girls RC Schools, we were told that teachers would be using material from books they previously used in addition to “doing a revision of last term’s work.” Stating that schools’ opening on Tuesday was “rather smooth,” Principal of Nelson Street Boys RC, Leslie Joel, said his school had definitely been ready for this term’s start as they had “orientation” for the new students to familiarise themselves with the school’s layout. Principal of Nelson Street Girls RC, Claire Charles, said she remained hopeful that everything would be alright by next week and that all schools would get their books.

Speaking with some schools in the East, Newsday was told by a principal that while a teacher can efficiently conduct classes without the use of a textbook, it would hinder homework exercises as the children would be without their personal copies. While admitting that there were some teachers who would flatly refuse to teach without textbooks, the official stated that his school was operating “quite efficiently without books” but “I still want them.” Officials of Belmont Girls RC said they had no idea when they would be getting books, and that they were administering revision work and aptitude tests to children. The school is still lacking a number of teachers in pertinent areas, claimed the official, and revealed the new intake of students for this term was 75. Chaguanas RC School said while they have yet to take possession of their new books, their old textbooks were being used to facilitate classes. Blackman’s Private School in Maraval said while they only opened yesterday, they had not received any books, but that if they didn’t get them by next week, it would not be a problem for them as they were prepared.