Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 04/Sep 17:03

[UPDATED] St George’s students hot but happy in refurbished school

STUDENTS at St George’s College say apart from the heat in the classrooms, they are happy with their renovated accommodation. Students and staff returned to the school's original site in Barataria on September 2, after being housed at the University of TT's Valsayn campus for two years while the school was being refurbished. Form one and form two students went to school on September 2 and 3, and the other students started school on September 4. When Newsday arrived at 7 am that day, the majority of students being dropped off were form-one and form-two students and those who transferred to the school for form six. Parents said they were initially worried about sending their children to school on September 2, as they were unsure whether it was ready. Newsday visited the school on August 30, and saw hallways covered in dust, water-soaked chairs stacked in piles in classrooms and at the side of the school, and unfinished windows. But parents told Newsday their children had no issues on Monday and Tuesday and met clean classrooms. Kofi James, whose son is a form-one student, said, “Everything has been copacetic, to be honest. I ain't have no problems. Everything was good. At this point in time I have no issues with the school facilities.” A form-one student, though, when asked about his experience said instantly, “The school is good, but too hot. It's have no fans.” His mother, who was standing at his side, added, “It's been good. They're not organised fully with the transition from UTT to here, but other than that, he's coping well. Everything is clean, but it’s just a bit crowded for the amount of children in his class.” She said she believes it is just a matter of time before school officials are able to sort everything out. Usha, the mother of a form one student, said, her son enjoyed the first two days of school, but the heat and size of the classrooms were problematic. “He said he will give it time, because although it is a bit heated with all the children in the classroom, he is enjoying so far. "They haven’t gotten timetables as yet, so I guess the school is still organising. He said it was okay and clean. "I am worried, though, but I guess I just have to wait." A mother said the school had asked parents to contribute to buying fans for the classrooms. She said other parents had told her they have no problem buying the fans, as they are for their children’s comfort. Mark Samlal told Newsday he was hesitant to send his child to school this week, but is adopting a wait-and-see approach, as this is the first time his son, a form two student, is setting foot in the refurbished school. “I wasn't comfortable sending him to school with what we were hearing about the electrical stuff, the rat faeces, and all these kind of things. I was thinking about not sending him until everything gets sorted out. But they say today everything is rectified and that's how I ended up bringing him. But based on the feedback today, I will know what I’m doing for the rest of the week.” Some parents said they believed school officials could have communicated with them more promptly. Zayeed, whose son is also in form two, said his son also complained about the heat, and added he didn’t even know the school was ready to be occupied. “They didn't communicate too well with parents, because we didn't know school was coming over on this side until it was on the news.” One said: “If you are sending your child to a school and you are hearing this (negative news), you will think twice about it. I even considered a transfer, but my child’s mind was made up and they wanted to go to this school.” A parent of a form six student said she is worried, but only because it is her daughter’s first day at a new school. “We will see what happens today. The school is painted, and it looks way better than it was looking before. The school will keep us informed of what is going on, and I don’t think they would have brought them here if the environment wasn’t safe, so I’m otherwise okay.” Sharon Mohammed, whose son is a form two student, said, “We're just trying to be positive. Everything will work out, hopefully.” This story was originally published with the title "St George's students hot but happy in refurbished school" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below. STUDENTS at St George’s College say apart from the heat in the classrooms, they are happy with their renovated accommodation. Students and staff returned to the school in Barataria on September 2, after being housed at the University of TT's Valsayn campus for two years while the school was being refurbished. Form one and form two students went to school on September 2 and 3, and the other students started school on September 4. When Newsday arrived at 7 am that day, the majority of students being dropped off were form-one and form-two students and those who transferred to the school for form six. Parents said they were initially worried about sending their children to school on September 2, as they were unsure whether it was ready. Newsday visited the school on August 30, and saw hallways covered in dust, water-soaked chairs stacked in piles in classrooms and at the side of the school, and unfinished windows. But parents told Newsday their children had no issues on Monday and Tuesday and met clean classrooms. Several parents, though, said they believed school officials could have communicated with them more promptly. One said: “If you are sending your child to a school and you are hearing this (negative news), you will think twice about it. I even considered a transfer, but my child’s mind was made up and they wanted to go to this school.” A mother said the school has asked parents to contribute to buying fans for the classrooms. She said other parents had told her they have no problem buying the fans, as they are for their children’s comfort. The post [UPDATED] St George’s students hot but happy in refurbished school appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.