The Honourable Minister Anthony Garcia visits schools in the South Eastern District

TRINIDAD:  April 22, 2016: The Honourable Anthony Garcia, Minister of Education visited three (3) schools in the South Eastern District on Tuesday 20th April, 2014.

Minister Garcia met with teachers and students of the Moruga Government Secondary School, Cowen Hamilton Secondary School and St Mary’s Government Primary School. Teachers had the opportunity to express some of the challenges facing them at their respective schools and also offered possible solutions. One of the major issues facing the teachers at the Cowen Hamilton Secondary School is the underpayment of some of the teaching staff. Some teachers explained that even though they went through the necessary process and their qualifications have been updated, they are still being paid as Assistant Teachers when they should be afforded graduate status. The Minister promised to “deal with this issue, as a matter of urgency.”
At the Moruga Government Secondary School, Minister Garcia addressed the staff and encouraged them to be role models for the students that follow. He spoke of plans to further develop the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) component in the school, and at the St Mary’s Government Primary School, students showcased their diverse talent with performances by the school’s steelband and choir, as well as moko jumbies.
Minister Garcia said he learned a lot from his interaction with both the students and teachers during his visit, and expressed his commitment to further develop schools in the South Eastern District and his intention to make certain that the required facilities are in place to ensure that quality education is provided for all. He said that, “Moruga is a rural community and at the level of the Ministry of Education, we are going to do everything to ensure that all those who reside in this area are afforded the same opportunities as those students in urban areas.”
Minister Garcia was accompanied by the Honourable Dr. Lovell Francis, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education; Ms. Natasha Barrow, Permanent Secretary (Ag); Mr. Harrilal Seecharan, Chief Education Officer; senior officials of the Ministry of Education and members of the Moruga/ Tableland Constituency Office.