Unity/Lancaster residents last week urged a ministerial team to look into complaints of truancy, ill-equipped schools and drainage problems at a community meeting hosted at the Gibson Primary School at Unity, ECD.
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release residents told Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud and Education Minister Shaik Baksh that the Lancaster Secondary school did not boast computers and that its Home Economics Department was ill-equipped to facilitate training in the subject. They said too books were needed for the library and that Gibson Primary needed maintenance works. Residents also complained about the provision of birth certificates in the area and the lack of maintenance of a canal at Unity.
In response, Baksh urged residents to cooperate to get things done. He said two years ago a decision was made to divide the school system allowing Gibson to remain a primary school and Lancaster a secondary but the school’s administration still encountered a number of problems. “There were constant problems with parents and the head which came to my attention and the Teaching Service Commission,” he said, adding that the head teacher was transferred from the school but other problems persisted.
He also clarified that the ministry deals with issues such as poor performance and shortage of teachers while matters such as non-functional sanitary blocks and electricity can be dealt with at the regional level. As regard the shortage of furniture and equipment and the misuse of materials, the minister gave assurances that the matters will be investigated.
GINA stated that “The Regional Education Officer (REdO) announced that under the Ministry’s capital programme a stove, refrigerator and utensils will be purchased. He said that the region has already sent out tenders.” According to Baksh the administration also aims to equip all schools from nursery to university with internet-ready computers this year.
Fifty schools countrywide are already fully computerized as the programme is moving apace. Further, 20 computer laboratories are currently being built in schools countrywide. Baksh also assured Lancaster which has a population of 343 students that the students will receive text books within one week. Gibson Primary has 347 students.
Additionally, the agriculture minister said government will make the necessary interventions to boost drainage. He said an excavator has been deployed to effect drainage works at key areas while emergency works have been carried on a canal at Unity. The ministry has also hired more community enhancement workers to boost the workforce.