After a week of protests, pupils of the St Dominic’s RC Primary School resumed classes at the Penal Community Centre yesterday.
Following concerns about the unsafe and dilapidated conditions at the community centre where the pupils have been housed since 2017, parents, with the support of residents, held several protests since January 4, calling for the construction of a new school.
The parents complained about a collapsing ceiling and overflowing toilets in the centre.
Initially, the Ministry of Education and the Catholic Education Board of Management had arranged to relocate the pupils to the Rock Road Hindu School and the Penal Fire Station while the community centre undergo repairs.
However, sometime after 3 pm on Sunday, parents received word from the principal that work on the roof of the community centre had been completed and therefore the pupils would no longer be relocated to the Hindu School or any other location. The parents were informed that classes would resume at the community centre on Tuesday.
Parent Teacher Council president Sharon Baptiste said some of the furniture for the Standard Four and Five classes were still at the Rock Road Hindu School because the children were supposed to have started classes there on Monday.
She said some parents did not send their children to school yesterday.
However, Baptiste claimed work was still ongoing on the roof, toilets and grounds.
“I find they should have completed the work before allowing the children on the compound. The information we got was that work on the ceiling was completed and they said they would have completed the rest after school hours.”
While protest action has been called off, she said they were awaiting word on the reconstruction of a new school.
“The community members are waiting to hear when the old school will be demolished.
When contacted last Thursday, Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly said efforts were concentrated on implementing the interim accommodation arrangements and repairing the roof of the community centre while the issue of school reconstruction could be considered subsequently. —Sascha Wilson