The fifth form students of North Ruimveldt Multilateral Secondary School will be sitting the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exam in the school’s auditorium as of next Monday.
Following the fire that gutted a section of the school on Saturday last, Education Minister Priya Manickchand and the parents met on Monday and agreed that if the school’s auditorium, which was not damaged by the fire, was considered safe for the examination to be conducted there, then the students will be allowed to do so. Since then, the Minister accompanied by other ministries, including the Ministry of Public Works, have inspected the remainder of the school throughout the week and have come to a decision that the school’s auditorium is a good choice for the students to sit their exam.
During a school assembly held yesterday at the school’s auditorium, Manickchand said that the decision to allow the fifth formers to sit the exam in the auditorium was not taken lightly. She said that they first had to determine whether the building still had residual smoke, whether it was safe, and according to her updates throughout the week, the ministry relied on the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) for some input on the safety of the building. On Thursday, she stated that she visited the school after persons raised concerns about possibly smoke scent coming from the gutted school building but she had been assured that that was not happening. Yesterday she was still conducting assessments as she walked through the areas of the school untouched by the fire and suggested that if there is need for more space students could be placed in the eating area where they will be in an open atmosphere. However, the auditorium has been deemed the most suitable space.
The minister also encouraged the students to look past the tragedy and rise up from what has happened. She expressed the hope that the students will use this as a learning experience as they continue their education journey and sit their exams. She told the students that they have a solid foundation by attending an A-list school and that despite their school having had a fire, they can do as well as any other students in their examinations.
Manickchand said that 65 students of the school will be sitting the exams as of Monday but because the school’s smart classroom was destroyed in the fire, subjects like Electronic Document Processing, and Management (EDPM) cannot be accommodated at the school’s auditorium. Instead the 34 students will sit the exam at the Government Technical Institute (GTI). She added that transportation will be provided for those students. In addition, lunch will be prepared each day there is an examination to ensure the students are properly catered for.
The school’s head teacher, Allison Cosbert, thanked the minister for the speedy resolution and encouraged the students to not just pass while stressing that they are capable of doing better than their predecessors because the Ministry of Education, teachers, parents and the community at large are supporting them.
She told this newspaper that she is pleased that the students can sit the exam in what could be considered to be their home. She said that it was what the parents, students and even the minister wanted and it was made possible. Cosbert also made mention of the losses. She said that while it is still unclear just how much was burned in the tragedy, she is certain it amounts to billions. She listed the smart room containing all the equipment, the Home Economic labs, the Science labs, library containing many books and furniture and other miscellaneous items that were all destroyed in last Saturday’s fire. The rebuilding, she noted, will take some time and it will be a process but they are hopeful that it will be done in a timely manner.
Senior Welfare Officer Vickram Mohabir echoed the minister and told the students that they have to learn to overcome hurdles and be resilient. He said that going forward they must shut out all external issues and focus on their examinations, which are important to their destiny adding that their journey is not yet completed and that they must persevere now more than ever.
When the fire of unknown origin started at about 1.30 pm on Saturday last, Manickchand visited the scene, along with Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn. Firefighters had also responded and were working vigorously to extinguish the flames which quickly ripped through a section of the school. While at the scene, Manickchand assured that the school would be rebuilt and promised that she would work along with parents and students to ensure that they were able to sit their exams which were starting on the following Monday.
