Parents of students of the problem-plagued Sineku Primary School are threatening more protest action in the form of withholding their children from school if education officials fail to honor commitments given at a meeting on Monday.
The Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of the school met with a full house of officials from the Ministry of Education together with local authorities and demanded that much needed work begin immediately at the institution or they will be withholding their children from what they say are unsanitary and unsafe conditions at the institution.
“I told the Chief Education Officer that we will send our children back to school from today, Tuesday, and by Thursday, for the toilet part of it, we are supposed to see something going on,” President of the PTA, Marietta Sanford, told DNO. “And if anything does not take place by that time, we will continue our protest.”
Last week parents kept their children at home as a form of protest due to a series of break-ins, vandalism and other problems that have been plaguing the school.
“The protest was a way of getting what we need for our children,” Sanford said. “The toilets are stinking. Only one toilet in the girl’s restroom is working ….”
She pointed out that the teacher’s washroom is also malfunctioning.
At Monday’s meeting parents were assured that plumbing issues at the school will be addressed within a week since “a plumber, contracted in April, has already provided an assessment of the school’s needs and is ready to begin work.”
Acting head of the Education Planning Division, Nathaline Constance, informed the PTA that the school was on the “priority list” for summer works to include the installation of burglar bars, new windows as well as the repair of a core house.
Chief Education Officer, Melena Fontaine, urged parents to assist in preventing persons in the community from vandalizing the school.
“We have to work with the teachers and principals and as a body decide how we are going to address the issue of vandalism at your school,” she told the PTA.
Sanford hopes officials will keep their end of the bargain. She said the school was promised yard fencing, a new core house, electricity works and a connection to DOWASCO for drinking water.
“So we do hope that from tomorrow (Wednesday), they will start working for us,” she said.
The carib people have suffered enough. Mr Graneau kids go to that very same school and u’re telling me he’s hoping around with skerrit fooling the people and the very same primary s bool that ur own children attend don’t even have pipe borne water? What a shame!
Anonymous u sound like a fool. Where did u ever hear mr linton made such statement?
As responsible parents and the fact that your children’s education is paramount why on earth did people not get together and carry out some of the repairs and then present the cost to the education minister. Instead of mapwee going backward and forward. Remember your childs education is your responsibility to .
Perhaps embarrassing the ofgficer in that way would be a better option.
While this comic government giving out toilets for votes the toilets in government owned facilities are not working for months and by the time a plumber comMamaIs the next level of Sh”””””t , wood ants, chi unguents, international Airport, rent a job, Roseau make over.
Nous Camille Tiwais ce enitil la qui ca volere toute largent nous. ce matere ya. Nous que motwais yo coma Poule ca pon
People from the same village that breaking into the school. I agree repairs need to be made but think about it keeping your children home from school who is it really hurting. Not the teachers they still get paid and frankly its a free day. Not the children who rather stay home and play. But yes the parents who have to find some where to put the children. Repairs hopefully can be done soon, the children need the education. True there is universal secondary education but it is problems like this among many others which diminish the level of education the children receive before they get to high school.
If it was a school in the city they would have fix the problem because is country they don’t care when u poor is poor u poor Dog Eat Dog vote them O U T
The entire school appear to be in need of an overhaul, toilet and all. How could it have been allowed to get to that decrepit point?
Please ensure that work done on the school will be satisfactory. Once this is completed, I hope the break-ins and vandalisms will cease. Security cameras would be appropriate to catch and arrest the vandals and deter them and others from committing these crimes. Who could be so heartless and wicked to do that? Shame on them. Do you not realize that you are harming the children and inhibiting them from their studies?
Where was the minister? Was he not invited? Or is he afraid to face the parents? The policy makers must shoulder the responsibility to solve the problems and calm down the parents.
Oh holy cow! see what we battle with, its not rocket science my people. With the proper information and contact # I am willing to donate a couple C.C.TV security camera. Smh! but waiting. Hope we all learn a lesson that ready or not if we do not step in time and deal with the malcontents in our mist. Dominica and the Authorities will learn a hash lesson. Lets be more proactive rather than reactive. The more things seems to change is the more it remains the same. Wake up my people!
It seems that this is the trend ,protest first then action.The ministry could prevent this embarrassment.
Ashton Graneau and de DLP have no right to be putting themselves up to represent de Kalinago people. Shame on you Ashton. Shame on de DLP You showing me why you need to be replaced.
Supremo boasting of money available to do everything.
De simple things to difficult
Alas where sylvanie and de Chief
Nobody new about these conditions?
De horseback ridge road done.
All you even patch up de feeder roads
BUT ALL YOU FORGET DE CHILDREN!
ALL YOU FORGE EDUCATION!
THAT’S A STRONG INDICTMENT AGAINST DE DLP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Work to begin….to begin is a waste of words. let me hear work began. I cannot understand real issues are there to be addressed like the school n the hospital in marigot and pm was just in St Joe talking about things to come. Stupes
So where all them toilets PM get there! So while PM playing politics with toilet public buildings lacking proper toilet facilities? Kalinagos protest! fo too long you all have been maginalised…by the way where all you Parl-rep…ask him to go let Francois Barry teach him how to get things done by being on PM’s Back…….
Our children must be taught responsibility. They have to learn to appreciate what is provided for their betterment.
Having to go through so much before the lazy government can give care and attention to the children’s concern. VOTE THEM OUT, THEY DON’T CARE A FAT ABOUT YOU ALL!
It is sad that parents have to resort to protest action to have basic needs and health and safety of their children addressed. Shame on the ministry of education for not being proactive!
goog parents stand for what is right
The residents themselves need to play a part in protecting their school from those vandals!
Stop relying on government for everything!
Stupes!
Would you like to propose how they can help? It is very easy to criticize without providing solutions.
well st jean you see all d money u and ya cabinet hs amassed questionably there pump that or a percentage of it into the education trust fund!!!! and while u all doing that is time to get out and go back to ya church to seek god stop being a puppet to this skerrit character and return to ya god!!!
I hope the Kalinago people will keep up the fighting spirit and vote for a change. A change for ourselves and our children. No longer will we be the ones that everybody says can be bought with a barrel of rum. Rise up my people!!
Keep your children from school maam. Melena Fontaine will be the one suffering.
Ok so work start, school is fenced, new core house is built, electricity works and connection to DOWASCO for drinking water is that going to stop the vandalism and other problems that have been plaguing the school? We need to put all politics aside and work together as a community and protect what we have. It maybe persons who are protesting are the same set doing these acts. Villagers come together, work in turns to guard the school and find out who are the culprits and give them a serious smacking (but don’t kill), then report them to the police. We are just too political now. Forget about red, blue or green and think of the children.
My exact point thank you
now is the time to vote for change. if uwp was in office de school would be better off.
It’s like UWP will not have its challenges!
Yes UWP will have its challenges but we will work collectively to deal with the pertinent issues in quicktime because whilst Skerrit and his cabal continue to amass wealth people are suffering silently. I would like to say more but I’ll stop at this point in time
You forget Lennox say no school fees will be paid, no bus fare will be paid, no red clinic under his Government??? I glad for allu with the change you asking for.
Did he consider with that mentality more crimes will be committed? Is he planning to put them all to work and where?
Wait a minute here last time I checked you work hard to provide for your children and your family. Dominica is doing much better than most caribbean islands according to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit yet still bus fees and school fees are being paid by him. Next thing he will purchase is underwear. Where is our DIGNITY? Why have we allowed one man to perceive that he is our “SAVIOR?” Mr. Prime Minister why don’t you put measures in place so that persons will be able to create employment for themselves instead of merely distributing handouts. Is this what we have been reduced too AH MAYWAYSAY! Mr. Skerrit we want to own our own homes, we want to be able to own our own vehicles we want better health facilities and don’t give me that bull crap about Rome not being built in a day because if you TRULY loved the people of DOMINICA your primary concern would be health care….DOMINICANS WAKE UP CHANGE IS A MUST…..