A proper system for dealing with issues relating to school infrastructure is currently lacking but the Education Ministry is working to rectify this, Minister Shaik Baksh said yesterday.
Meeting with parents at the Philadelphia Primary School who had protested the state of the school two weeks ago, Baksh acknowledged that the issues that they had raised were legitimate but said that the Ministry had no direct responsibility for school infrastructure. This falls under the various regional administrations. However, the Ministry will be hiring two engineers who will do a condition survey of every school, the Minister said.
Repairs have started at the school after the parents protested, citing the crumbling foundation pillars and the deplorable sanitary facility that the children were forced to use as well as the state of the floor where mysterious piles of sand appeared on a daily basis.
Yesterday, Baksh said that there were procedures that the parents should have followed. However, he acknowledged that at times the authorities take a long time to act. He said that if the parents had gotten no satisfaction from the regional authorities, they could have approached the ministry directly. According to him, the media “twist and turn” everything. The Minister noted that there are over 900 school buildings nationally and it is the responsibility of the Regions to have a programme.
The Ministry is now assisting the Regions, he said. “We should not (have) allowed it to get out of hand as has happened here,” he admitted. In relation to the school, he said that the media continue to report the issue as though the Ministry does not care but he said that they did not have the funds to do the work.
He emphasised that his Ministry does not have direct responsibility for school infrastructure but it is of concern. “We care,” said Baksh.
He pointed out that a lot of schools have been improved but there are still some which are lacking.
Baksh told the parents that the new floor will be tiled and also pledged to get rid of the pit latrines, which parents had urged.
A parent raised the issue of sub-standard work being done and the Minister acknowledged that this was a concern. Another parent asked why the situation has to go to the “extreme” before the authorities respond and said that they have a right to protest.
Baksh urged them to monitor the works being done. “Let the Region know and bring the contractor to account,” he said. He noted that “too often” sub-standard work is done and six months later, the works have to be redone.
Meanwhile, Region Three Chairman Julius Faerber said that the parents should have been in touch with the Region.
He outlined the works that will be done, mentioning too, works done previously. He acknowledged that the school has had some problems over the years.
Baksh also spoke to the parents about the One Laptop Per Family Initiative and noted that it is targeted to the poorer families to ensure that their children benefit.
He said that computers can be a very powerful tool to enhance learning and teaching but also noted that it could be used for computer games and “other undesirable things” and if it is used only for this, rather than enhancing, it can lead to deterioration in learning. He urged parents to be vigilant.
The Minter also met with parents at the Leonora Primary School yesterday and, among other concerns, the issue of school gangs was raised.
