Students and teachers of the North East Comprehensive School (NECS) have been given the assurance that repairs will be done to the school for the new school year.
Speaking in an interview with DNO Education Minister Peter St. Jean said the windows have been ordered from a company in Barbados for much needed repairs at the institution.
“These windows are of the highest quality; a contractor will begin work as soon as they arrive and all schools will be opened in September,” the minister promised.
On November 21, 2011 the Parent Teachers Association of the North East Comprehensive School staged protest action claiming that their children are placed in an environment that is not conducive to learning.
Recently, the parents threatened more protest action if they did not receive attention from the government.
Among concerns raised were poor lighting, damaged windows and a walk way area for students.
St. Jean said the students of that institution will receive the same benefits as all other schools.
These windows and other damage seem to be the work of vandals… not the elements of nature. Who’s to say the students and people in the community will take care of the new windows that will replace the broken ones.
It’s time our people value other people’s stuff, even though it may seem free, but somebody somewhere paid for it. Dominicans need to take care of what they have in their possessions. And stop whinning when nothing comes for free.
If indeed this damage was the act of nature, then yeah gov’t should be blamed. Otherwise the people of the community need to share the blame for these despicable, senseless and shameful acts – a detriment to their own development. They also need to have security (cameras, guards, fences, etc) on that property. Nuff said!
I really dont understand the way a few dominicans think sometimes.you’re talking about a parent putting the windows back. then as a citizen, volunteer! you’re talking about a teacher doing it. A teacher’s job does not end when school closes at 1pm. it ends when he/she put their head down to sleep at night. and goes on well into the weekend. so come again about that comment, a teacher could do it.
The talk was about NECS, not saying that other schools dont need repairs but what makes grammar school ect. of more mentionable importance than NECS. Parents don’t even send their kids to school when rain is falling because some of them are catching the flu. There are students and teachers who have respiratory problems and yet have to come to a flooded class room. Now, we’re in the rainy season….Lord help our students!
NECS windows are priority for the health of teachers and students.
** also the windows were mainly destroyed by a storm which hit Dominica some time ago. give our students a break!!
I think that this is all well and good that they are geting repairs but how old is that school? Why wasnt the building kept? What have the principal, teachers, students and parents been doing over the years? Everything is not for the government to do. We as stakeholders have to do our part and try to upkeep our schools too. You mean to tell me the hinges came off from the window and the principal could not get a teacher or parent to put one back? Why leave it to get worst.
For years they have been alking about building a new school for Goodwill Secondary, these students need a new building that is safe. What about newtown primary school? I do not understand why we always have to keep spending on those who got and are not taking care of it. It’s the same for GRammar School, just now the school will need repairs it is the same for the College that is not even fifteen years old a new one is going up. Let us please do some proper planning and try our best to maintain our buildings. This whole thing is just ridiculous. Sorry but I am a bit upset about this situation. Only in Dominica we do not take care of what we are given and then cry on the government.
sorry but its a government school and so government is responsible for its upkeep. The principal duty is to inform the ministry of education when there are problems and for the ministry to react. The little salary the principal and teachers get is not for them to repair windows
with the tropical storm en route it does not look good for the NECS……what a shame….sad sooooo sad
What about the long awaited, much discussed, started and finished NEWTOWN school? Has he bothered to visit there and seen the horrible conditions teachers and students continue to endure?
No doors, no airflow, peeling ceilings no fans cramped seating.
“St. Jean said the students of that institution will receive the same benefits as all other schools.”
same benefits…. be careful what you wish for.
Another case of nothing. When DOMinicans learn to stand for what they want fully not partially we will begin to see institutions taking civil action more seriously. It has been almost a year and now Petter talking about ordering this must be a joke.
And what are the affected parents/students doing about it? The same message was given ONE YEAR AGO and the situation continues. Where are the Parliamentary representatives for the constituencies of Marigot to Calibishie? They have been ALL been taken for a ride.
Alas, alas, alas, alas…if this is the next level ebeh nou toute pwee – like granny would say. But here is what granny always said; ” When rouges and vagabonds fall out just people will be rewarded greatly.”
Assertive, NOT Agressive!
Hey we forget that there is a company in Dominica doing window business called Dragon Windows!!!! There is a real nice add on the airwaves done by a local kasionian advertising the business. What happen the Minister forget the company or he does not want to do business with them. They do have quality products and do deliver on time!!!!! What ya’ll think
why is it one month before the start of the 2012-2013 school year that the Ministry of education wants to to do repairs?
school reopens in just about 2 weeks. when exactly is the ministry going to put in those windows. am waiting to see what happens. i hope they keep their end of the deal
wait for the Wind ows… lol, it reach and put up already…
STILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL…… well if NECS had “free tarish” they would have gotten some attention by now…..
St.Jean have guts wi, so u mean to tell me repairs is Relief, so u doing us a favor now, Yes I poor Domnique GarCon
I hear some baloney talk here!
Today is the 20th of August; if the windows are on order from Barbados, a date of arrival in Dominica is not certain, how can this so called minister know definitely that the School will open on time for the beginning of the new semester?
If we wait until there is an emergency to conduct the repairs, and especially since the school should be operating on schedule, what sort of professionalism we can find in the work conducted, after completion?
The work of most professionals, carpenters, and contractors are less efficient when they are functioning under stress; in a hurry to complete work on schedule.
If the school in question is the school in Wesley, this minister should be ashamed of himself for such a comments since the dilapidated condition of the school was brought to his attention over a year ago!
And why couldn’t the Parliamentary Representative of Wesley do something in order to expedite the repairs of the entire building?
Another troubling situation is this. Here we have a small window industry in our country; yet the government is ordering out of Dominica which can be manufactured in the island, hence the money spent in Barbados, would have helped to keep the Dragon Window company in business, thus at least one Dominica born could live in hope that he will not soon find himself out of a job.
Where is the Dominica thinking cap?
Something is wrong with the minister’s and all the natives of Dominica in general!
I do not believe for one moment that windows manufactured in Barbados are anymore durable than what could be manufactured in Dominica, since the raw materials used to produce them both in Barbados, and Dominica are not found in our natural environments, and must be imported.
So what’s the big deal ordering from Barbados?
Shall I suggest that a friend in Dominica might be helping a friend in Barbados?
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
I totally agree, I think all these people are incompetent!
FEDT
Dragon moved from Dominica to Barbados and St Lucia as they had better markets there. Yes we lost a few jobs, but not that many as it was mainly inhouse for build and install.
The bigger question is why wait till now, do we have snap elections coming and they want something to show voters?
Ask PSJ about Newtown school. Start one job, do it well, make it a showcase for schools in Dominica and move on.
2 weeks to go, a storm bringing rain and the children go back to a churned up building site and a building with no doors, fans, and the most basic of amenities. At least the garage stopped dumping waste oil in the ravine and making people queasy.
Are you telling me that Dragon Windows has closed their operation in Dominica?
If that is true I believe that soon all the lights will be off in our country!
It is true that the population of Dominica is small, and dependency on our population to keep manufacturing going based on the nation house building could never be enough to sustain such a business. I would imagine that there would be an outside market where the company could sell their products.
Chances are shipping out of Dominica might be the most difficult thing to do, since cargo these days are shipped via air, and more major cases containers.
Do we have such resources in Dominica, I suppose the answer is no!
If in fact they left for Barbados, and another Caribbean island that is an indication that it is not because of insufficient business in Dominica why they left, the problem sinks deeper than that.
As far as I can remember every foreign company which set up business in our country has hightailed out of Dominica because of one reason or the other. If a business can survive on an island such as Grenada , or St. Lucia, they could have survived in Dominica also.
The problem is our people who are in high position and does not know how to act; the problem is the people who are in control of Dominica!
Our people screw up on everything they put their hands to: we are a pompous backward people who believes that foreigner will come to our country to spend their money into some investment, and while they are doing us a favor, they must kiss our behind in the process!
Who on earth in their right mind would chose to subject themselves to such crap?
It is the same with the tourist industry, there are many idiots in the country including Ian Douglas who entertain this false idea that forcing the name ” Nature island ” in the face of people will lour them to Dominica.
Nature island indicates primitivism. I would not go to a country which advertises itself as the most backward, and primitive place on earth; that is what the name Nature Island indicates.
They want tourism, yet they do not want to have anything to do with an International Airport, they cannot attract any large chain hotel operators to the island, there are no tourist resorts on the island, I do not know of a single gulf court on the island, so that when an older person who whishes to play gulf on his/her vacation could have the privilege of entertaining themselves.
Their are plenty of people who play gulf when they are on vacation.
Dominica is not a place for such tourist!
Check out every island from Jamaica in the North to Guyana in the South, review their tourist industry, and the facilities they ensure, ( put in place) in order to entertain, and accommodate the tourist, and see if there are anything in our country which remotely resembles what you find.
Our officials has convinced themselves that the bull crap that they talk all the time will improve the life’s of our people and cause an economic explosion in the country, the good news for them is that thus far they are successful in fooling themselves and a majority of people, but what about the bad news which is in their faces and they cannot identify it.
The bad news it that it is likely that the rug will be pulled out from under their feet, and that day will be when our total economy collapses; that is not a wish, I would not like to see that happen, however at the rate we are going it appears we will eventually cause our economy to collapse.
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
I agree was thinking the same thing. Why Barbados, then when business start closing down we wonder why.
Hmmm…there aren’t any skilled workers in the community/country that could supply or construct the windows within a similar price range?
yes petter we waiting on the northeast for you, school opening in 3 weeks time and is now you talking about repairs, we watching to see when this work going to start.
This means the building work will be carried out during school hours. These building should have been done during the summer holidays. Very bad organising.
Well from the picture in this article and the condition of these windows isn’t the school flooded by now with all the raining that went on over the past few weeks. And hurricane on the way again!!