RAD­HI­CA DE SIL­VA
rad­hi­ca.sookraj@guardian.co.tt

A sci­ence teacher and a main­te­nance work­er at the Pleas­antville Sec­ondary School have both test­ed pos­i­tive for COVID-19.

This brings to 14 the num­ber of schools that have re­port­ed in­fec­tions.

A source said the teacher who has been at­tend­ing class­es in the sci­ence block in­formed school of­fi­cials of her pos­i­tive re­sult.

On Tues­day morn­ing, an MTS of­fi­cer who re­port­ed­ly cleaned a class­room in the sci­ence block al­so test­ed pos­i­tive for COVID-19.

School of­fi­cials ex­pressed con­cerns that prop­er pro­to­cols were not fol­lowed at the school.

The Min­istry of Health is ex­pect­ed to be­gin con­tact trac­ing now that the re­sults are pos­i­tive. Sev­er­al stu­dents are ex­pect­ed to be test­ed and sent on quar­an­tine.

The Min­istry of Ed­u­ca­tion and the Min­istry of Health have warned stu­dents and staff to main­tain all COVID pro­to­cols at school. How­ev­er, since the term re­opened on Oc­to­ber 4 there have been nu­mer­ous vi­o­la­tions.

In late Oc­to­ber, two fe­male stu­dents, in­clud­ing one with her shirt top opened while she wore a white blouse be­low, per­formed lap dances for male stu­dents.

The in­ci­dent with the Form Four stu­dents oc­curred be­tween the fourth and fifth pe­ri­ods.

Head of the Move­ment for Con­cerned Par­ents Clarence Men­doza has called for more su­per­vi­sion in schools. he said the onus was on par­ents to ed­u­cate their chil­dren about prop­er de­ci­sion mak­ing.

Pres­i­dent of TTUTA An­to­nia Tekah-De Fre­itas and oth­er stake­hold­ers are ex­pect­ed to meet with Ed­u­ca­tion Min­is­ter Dr Nyan Gads­by-Dol­ly on Fri­day, to ad­dress con­cerns.