Tewarie: Preysal Government School being Neglected by Government

The Member of Parliament for Caroni Central, Dr Bhoe Tewarie, condemns in the strongest manner the insensitivity and lack of responsiveness of the Minister of Education to the formidable challenges of students, parents and teachers at the Preysal Government School.

The sewer system is once again malfunctioning after being repaired during the long vacation last year based on representations of the Member of Parliament. Students from this good performing school, which won the national primary schools cricket championship last year, are now at home missing classes when they should be learning at school and enjoying school days with their peers.

Parents are fed up with this situation and the Principal, teachers and staff have reached the limit of their patience.

The school building is dilapidated and unsafe and should not be occupied in its present condition. Recently fans were installed in each classroom by the member of Parliament for Caroni Central, Dr Bhoe Tewarie, with financial support from well wishers in the community, to make children and teachers more comfortable.

A new school, about 60 percent complete, and untouched for the last 20 months is now overgrown with bushes next to the old, dilapidated school in which classes are held putting students and teachers at risk.

Funding was allocated by Parliament in the 2017 budget for restarting the continuation of construction of the new school but no work has commenced so far. When questions were posed both informally to the Minister of Education and publicly in Parliament by Dr Tewarie, earlier this year, Minister Garcia gave the assurance that resumption of work to complete the school would begin before the end of fiscal 2017.

However, during debate on the mid year budget review, in response to a direct question from Dr Tewarie, Minister Garcia informed the House of Representatives that work on construction of Preysal Government was no longer scheduled for 2017 fiscal and would probably take place in 2018 instead.

During a Finance Committee meeting a week earlier, again responding to a direct question from the Member for Caroni Central, the Minister of Education refused to give any commitment for the Preysal Government in fiscal 2017.

In his Parliamentary response to the Minister of Education during the mid year budget review, Dr Tewarie strongly chastised the Minister of Education as a Minister whose words had no value and whose promises had no meaning.

The Member of Parliament for Caroni Central, Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie, is currently making arrangements to meet with the Parent – Teachers Association next week to determine a course of action to ensure schooling for the children and to take action to ensure construction of a new Preysal Government School.