Rawle Wright, supervisor at the Morvant Lifelong Learning Centre says students are in a state of limbo since classes did not commence in September. He said students are concerned that mathematics and English classes may not reopen. The Centre is close to Malick Secondary School. Wright said: "I guess they feel the classes are not fully attended. Many of the students would walk to the classes if they don't have transport. If there is a little shooting in the area, they stop coming. "They are querying why the classes have not officially opened." Wright said one week before they were due to return in September, they were told not to conduct classes until further notice.
He said: "Two weeks afterwards, we were told to take an inventory of what we have in the cupboards and give the principals the keys. No one told us the classses would not be reopened but we suspect it from what we were told." Meanwhile, Wright has been giving mathematics lessons. He said: "As long as I could get the principal's permission, I would continue with them even though I would not be paid until their exam was up in January." He pleaded with the relevant authorities to reopen the classes since education was an important catalyst for socio-economic change in hotspot communities like Morvant/Laventille.
"Education is badly needed in areas like Morvant," he said. Student Arlene Gould said she did not get a shot at formal schooling and the classes represented another lifeline for her. "I hope the classes would reopen. Some of the students have been turning up, only to be told there are no classes." Efforts to conduct Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh and Minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education Fazal Karim proved futile.
