There were scenes of rejoicing at primary schools in Tobago following yesterday’s release of Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) examination results by the THA’s Education Division. However, this was mixed with disappointment by some students, as well as teachers and parents, over the schools at which students were placed.
With more than enough school places now available in Tobago, the focus is no longer on who “passed” but on whether students got their wish in being placed at the school of their choice. The general feeling was that students who were placed at the newly established Mason Hall Government Secondary and Goodwood High schools had somehow “failed.” This was clearly evident as the results were being announced at Scarborough Methodist Primary. At the mention of these two schools, there were murmurs of disappointment amidst the deafening silence; for Signal Hill Secondary Comprehensive the response picked up, but at the mention of Bishop’s High School, the ecstatic screaming exploded amidst wild scenes of jubilation as almost everyone crowded around congratulating the “lucky” student who would be going to Bishop’s.
Over at Scarborough RC, the situation was the same; some children actually “steupsed” dismissively at the mention of either of the two newly established secondary schools. One girl was so apprehensive that she might not be placed in her school of choice that emotions gave way and she had to be consoled by a teacher. Additionally, students expressed frustration at the delay in announcing the results. “They say they announcing the results at 10.00; it now five past ten, they only frustrating people,” one of them cried. However, teacher Jacqueline Dillon stressed the importance of prayers particularly at that time. “Remember, whatever result you get this morning is God’s will,” she told the visibly restless children. “So whatever school you are placed in, you will go and do your best!” she urged. The question of whether the 915 SEA students in Tobago would be placed was never an issue, since, according to THA Chief Secretary and Secretary for Education Orville London, some 1,050 secondary school places would be available in the island come September.
Shivan Ramlochan of the Montrose Government Primary placed first from among the 20,669 students who wrote the 2003 Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) exam. He attained full marks in each subject area.
Securing a place in five and seven-year schools were 11,627 students (5,516 boys and 5,771 girls), while 7,872 gained places in three-year schools. Acting Education Minister Colm Imbert visited the Newtown Girls’ and Boys’ Primary Schools, to present results to some of the students who placed in the top 100 positions of the exam. Minister Imbert in congratulating the girls said, “This school has done exceptionally well, you have run true to form.” Education officials accompanying Imbert included Chief Education Officer Paula Daniel and School Supervisor Avril Sampson. The SEA 2003 results are as follows: In the Creative Writing Paper, 2,394 students or 11.6 percent attained full marks. In Language Arts, 402 students or 1.9 percent scored between 96-100 marks, and in Maths, 711 or 3.4 percent of the students scored between 96-100 marks.
A total break-down of the placements are as follows: 20,669 students wrote the SEA exam at 542 centres in TT.
* 11,287 students (5,516 boys and 5,771 girls) were placed in five and seven-year schools.
* 7,872 students (4,109 boys and 3,763 girls) were placed in three-year schools.
* 1,237 students (513 boys and 724 girls) were placed into private secondary schools.
* 236 students (144 boys and 92 girls) were placed in Servol Life Centres.
* 37 students (31 boys and 6 girls) were placed at a Christ College Pre-Vocational Centre in the South Eastern Educational District.
* 2,146 students (1,596 boys and 550 girls) scored 30 percent and below in the combined total.
The Education Ministry would like to reaffirm that students were assigned to Secondary Schools based on the student’s performance (merit), parents’ choices, principal’s 20 percent selection (denominational schools) and gender. Student’s Performance Reports are available at the schools to which students have been assigned. Parents and guardians are to collect these reports upon registration of their children.
The Newtown Girls’ RC School has once again done exceptionally well in the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA), as student Kristel Yee Mon placed seventh nationally, in the SEA exam. Following the announcement, an emotional Kristel said, “I am really, really and truly surprised. I never expected this at all, as I wasn’t even sure I was going to pass for my first choice.” Yee Mon, who passed for her first choice of St Joseph’s Convent, Port-of-Spain, added that, “a lot of stress and hard-work really paid off.”
Echoing Education Minister Hazel Manning’s promise that all 20,669 students would be placed in a secondary institution, Imbert stated that approximately 12,000 of them would be placed in five and seven-year schools, a little over 7,000 in three-year schools, and under ten percent are being placed in private schools, he said. “In fact, there is an excess of school places this year,” stated Imbert, “which facilitated the reduction of placements in private schools, which has been one of government’s aims as this was originally only a temporary measure.” Noting that there has been continuous improvement at the SEA exam, he said, “Students are doing better since it was introduced,” as last year the number of students who got 30 percent or less was 16 percent. This figure is now down to ten percent, boasted Imbert, in addition to the fact that the average subject mark is now improving. “Obviously something is being done properly in the Ministry of Education,” he concluded.
Ensuring his school received its fair share of publicity, Justin Clarke, a pupil of the Newtown Boys’ RC School, was also among the first 100 students who top-scored in the SEA exam. Clarke, who placed 35th, said he felt “good that he passed for his first choice” of St Mary’s College (CIC). He will now be joining his older brother who is a Form Two student at CIC. Checks with some schools along the East/West corridor revealed that Curepe Presbyterian Primary School received excellent results, as 105 of the 126 who wrote the exam secured places at five or seven-year schools.
Five bandits, including a woman, staged a daring daylight robbery at Zina’s Jewelry Store at Price Plaza, Chaguanas, and escaped with jewelry valued $2.5 million.
Reports revealed that around 11.30 am yesterday, a man and a woman entered the store and held up security guard Nicholas Punette, 40, of Advance Security Company. The two robbed Punette of his wallet containing $30 and his Smith and Wesson revolver as well as 12 rounds of ammunition. Minutes later, three other bandits entered the store and ordered four employees to lie on the floor. The five bandits then began robbing the jewelry store of a quantity of jewelry including diamond rings, bracelets and other pieces of expensive jewelry. The five then escaped in a waiting car.
Officers of the Chaguanas police station were contacted and Inspector Burt Raphael, Sgt Dennis Housend and Ag Sgt Ajith Persad, along with fingerprint officers, went to the scene. A man was detained for questioning on the armed robbery.The owner of the jewelry store Zina and Omardath Ram were informed of the robbery and they later went to the scene. An eyewitness to the robbery gave a description of the vehicle used by the bandits to escape, and an All Points Bulletin was sent out to all police divisions to be on the lookout for the vehicle.Between last week and yesterday, three jewelry shops in Central were held up and robbed.Late yesterday, a car was recovered in Mt Hope and jewelry and firearms were recovered. Ag Sgt Persad is investigating.
Four custom-built mobile police stations purchased for a total of ?170,000 (TT$1.7M) will arrive in the country by the end of September.
The mobile stations, which are equipped with facilities such as kitchenette,bathroom, interview room and storage facilities, will be handed over to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service when the vehicles arrive in the country. The units, which was purchased from the Canadian government, will be sent to four different communities which are in dire need of mobile posts. Officers based at those mobile units will be able to respond to crime much faster than those at police stations because the stations are on wheels. The units will service communities which are located far from police stations and in highcrime areas. The vehicles were purchased by the Vehicle Maintenance Corporation (VMCOTT) through the Permanent Secre-tary in the Ministry of National Security Trevor Percival. One of the units is expected to be placed in Laventille.
Yesterday, Minister of National Security Howard Chin Lee said that the units will provide rapid response in rural and urban areas. He added that the fully equipped self-contained vehicles will ensure that victims of crime in remote communities will have the eyes and ears of police officers based in those mobile units, and they will provide a better interface with members of the various communities where they are placed. According to Minister Chin Lee, he is certain that the mobile units will provide relief to those communities which have been clamouring for more police presence. ACP Crime Oswyn Allard reiterated the sentiments expressed by Minister Chin Lee that the mobile units will go a long way in assisting in the fight against crime. He added that the new police post at Lange Park, Chagu-anas, which was introduced on Monday, is reaping the desired results.
A 22-year-old man managed to foil his own kidnapping by scuffling with two gunmen who attempted to bundle him into a car outside his father’s business place at Four Roads, Diego Martin early yesterday.
Jacob Jurawan was treated at hospital and interviewed by officers of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad. He told investigators that around 8.20 am yesterday, he was at the auto parts business place, owned by his father located opposite Freddie’s Bakery, when two men armed with guns held him up and ordered him inside his home, located upstairs the business place. Jurawan was robbed of more than $14,000 in jewelry and other valuables. The gunmen then ordered Jurawan into a car parked in front. Reports revealed that Jurawan put up a struggle with the gunmen and refused to sit in the car. During the struggle, one of the gunmen attempted to shoot Jurawan but the gun failed to fire. Jurawan managed to alert passing motorists and the gunmen fled the scene.
A report was made to the Four Roads Police Station and officers of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad were alerted. At the scene of the incident yesterday, Jurawan was interviewed by AKS officers and appeared shaken up over the incident. AKS officers commended Jurawan for his brave effort in warding off the kidnappers. Fingerprint experts who went to the scene attempted to lift prints from the house and off Jurawan’s clothing. Despite the incident, it was business as usual at the auto parts place. Relatives claimed that Jurawan was in no position to be interviewed.
Several suspects from east Trinidad have been detained in connection with two recent armed robberies in Tobago. Yesterday afternoon, they were placed on identification parades at the Scarborough Police Station. The suspects were reportedly nabbed at a popular guest house/restaurant establishment at Bon Accord in Tobago’s west end late Tuesday afternoon by officers of the Special Task Force. They are being interrogated in connection with the robbery of the NP Service Station at Carnbee.
The station was robbed by two gun-toting men around 1.40 pm last Sunday. There was also a robbery at Busy Foods Supermarket, Darrell Spring in Scarborough on Tuesday. In the gas station incident, two unmasked men armed with guns held up the attendant and escaped with the day’s sales of about $12,000 in a customer’s car. They later threw out the driver and took control of the car which was later recovered near the entrance to Canoe Bay Resort west along the Claude Noel Highway. Two days later, three men, also unmasked, armed with guns, casually walked into Busy Foods around 2 pm and headed straight for the drawer with the money in the manager’s office.
Police officers investigating the shooting death of mother of two Jillia Bowen,28, outside Movie Towne, on the night of June 4 have secured an eyewitness in that murder.
Yesterday, a 25-year-old suspect in Bowen’s murder and the attempted murder of two others was arrested while driving his car along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway. The suspect of Cascade was taken to the Port-of-Spain CID and handed over to the St James Poice. Reports revealed that around 9 am yesterday, officers of the joint police/army unit received information that the suspect was driving his car along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway. Officers rushed to the scene and arrested the suspect. Investigators told Newsday that the suspect will be placed on identification parades today.
Trinidad and Tobago is being asked to stick its neck out and give financial assistance to its “weaker” Caricom neighbours in order to consolidate Caricom support for the ICC.
Acting Prime Minister Joan Yuille-Williams disclosed yesterday that one of the suggestions being made at the Heads of Government meeting in Montego Bay is that Trinidad and Tobago establish a fund “in case” other Caricom countries which cannot afford to do without US mililary aid, should capitulate. There is going to be a need to strengthen some of the weaker territories “who might feel that something is being taken away from them,” she said. Asked what would happen in the event that the United States widened the range of economic sanctions, Yuille-Williams said she did not think the removal of military aid was a prelude to broader sanctions. She said the hardest hit Caricom country (by the US decision) would be Guyana. She was speaking at yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall.
On reports that the US Ambassador stated that he would discourage US investment in Trinidad and Tobago if this government does not support the United States Government on this issue, Yuille-Williams said she was quite sure that Trinidad and Tobago would continue to support the ICC. “And we are quite firm on that,” she said. Yuille-Williams also disclosed that Government was considering whether the Marli Street barriers should remain. She said it was pure coincidence that the issue had been raised two weeks ago at a PNM caucas meeting, (before the US decision). She said just last week Government asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to investigate who put the barriers there, why, and how long they were meant to remain. She added that the matter was raised because the citizenry had been complaining about the barriers, which closed off the street to all traffic. “This was before (the US decision),” she stressed, dismissing any suggestion that it was a case of tit for tat.
National Security Minister Howard Chin Lee gave a breakdown of the mililary aid this country received in 2002 from the United States. Trinidad and Tobago received US $300,000 from the FMF (Foreign Military Fund); US $1.6 million for installation of equipment; a further US $116,000 — a total of over US $2 million (TT$ 12 million). Furthermore government also benefitted from assistance in the form of training programmes for military officers in the US. Yesterday Chin Lee met with the US Ambassador, Roy Austin, to get more information about the exact programmes which were to be affected by the cut in aid. Yuille-Williams said she was informed that the withdrawal of assistance did not apply to US aid in the area of drug enforcement. She said the headline “Divided we stand” (in the Express) was a little erroneous and premature. “We still have not found out exactly where people would go. So far most of the Caricom people have stuck together and not capitulated,” she said.
THE OPPOSITION United National Congress (UNC) yesterday described Attorney-General Glenda Morean as “the biggest fraud” in Trinidad and Tobago for saying that the Integrity Commission will be “restructured”, “re-engineered” or even replaced by an Anti-Corruption Commission. According to party chairman Wade Mark, the AG’s statement reeks of hypocrisy because it is, “going on six weeks” and Canadian forensic investigator Bob Lindquist’s report on alleged WASA corruption has yet to see the light of day.
The UNC chairman shared former AG Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj’s view that Morean’s proposal was a ruse to prevent the Commission from investigating the affairs of People’s National Movement (PNM) Government Ministers. Mark said the Public Integrity Act of 2000 is already on the statute books and the former government was going to bring the Prevention of Corruption Act 2001 to Parliament to strengthen existing anti-corruption legislation, but the process was aborted after Maharaj, Trevor Sudama and Ralph Maraj broke ranks with the UNC over its handling of corruption allegations against frontline UNC ministers. The December 2001 elections followed shortly thereafter, removing the party from office.
Mark said while Morean boasts of PNM commitment to rooting out corruption, Government tries to find “every excuse to delay implementing” anti-corruption measures. He wondered whether the move to “re-engineer” the Commission was actually an attempt by Morean to prevent the Commission from investigating PNM Ministers’ finances. “This AG is a hoax and a fraud. She is an AG who is polluting the entire integrity process in TT,” the UNC chairman declared.
