TheLight
10-31-2007, 08:14 AM
After six years she couldn’t even get the de-shifting right that is incompetence…. VOTE THEM OUT!
Vex Hazel defends Jnr Sec de-shifting
By SANDRA SINGH Wednesday, October 31 2007
EDUCATION Minister Hazel Manning went on the defensive yesterday at a press conference called hastily at her St Clair head office, even though she confirmed Newsday’s exclusive story of yesterday’s front page of thousands of children in three junior secondary schools going to school two or three days a week while the de-shifting of these schools was still taking place. With a stern look on her face and both hands folded across her chest, Manning, who is the wife of Prime Minister Patrick Manning, told Newsday its story was “part of a deliberate, nasty plot which was dishonest and political in nature”.
Yesterday in its report, Newsday reported the complaints of several parents and members of the Chaguanas Junior Secondary Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) over the students at Mt Hope, Mucurapo and Chaguanas Junior Secondary schools attending classes for only two days in the five-day school week, on a rotational basis because there was insufficient space to accommodate students. Chairman of the Chaguanas Junior Secondary Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Jadis Harripersad was reported as saying although the school has been de-shifted, students attend school on a “phased basis” with Forms One and Three students attending classes only on Tuesdays and Thursdays and staying home on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while Forms Two and Four students attend classes on those three days. Consequently, the Forms Two and Four students stay home on Tuesdays and Thursdays. At Mt Hope Junior Secondary School, students in nine Form Two classes attend school on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while the Form II students attend classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
At Mucurapo, Forms III and I students attend classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays while Forms II and IV students attend classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. However, yesterday afternoon a resolute Mrs Manning who did not dispute the facts of the Newsday story, insisted that although there were problems at present, there would be greater advantages for students attending school on a full-day system. Ten schools were de-shifted and converted in September 2006 and an additional four schools were de-shifted this year. “Because the schools were constructed more than 30 years ago, the refurbishment has presented a challenge to upgrade the supply of electricity to meet the increased demands,” Manning said.
“Based on these unintended delays, three schools have been functioning on a rotation system with students attending on alternative days,” she confirmed, adding that the de-shifting “sought to sufficiently upgrade the existing school plant to accommodate the student population as well as to facilitate the expanded curriculum to function as all-day school, pending the rebuilding of the schools for which designs and tenders have been completed.” She promised that rotation at the three schools would cease by mid-November with the completion of pre-engineered classrooms. Manning further reiterated that “greater benefits” would be derived since students would not have to move to another school after the three years were over and they would also be afforded an extra hour of class time under the full-day system.
“Even though we are having problems at this point in time there are many more benefits to de-shifting than keeping a shift system in place,” Manning insisted. Questioned on the loss of teaching time through the rotation system, Manning said the extra time would be worked out and arrangements were in place so students would be able to recover the lost hours. These included she said, continuation classes, weekend classes and with the possibility of students even repeating a year if required. She cited Mt Hope Junior Secondary as an example where school students attend Home Work Centre on Monday until Thursday from 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm. “The time loss now would be made up,” Manning declared adding that the alternatives were given and the school authorities had the freedom to choose how the lost time would be recovered.
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,67098.html
Vex Hazel defends Jnr Sec de-shifting
By SANDRA SINGH Wednesday, October 31 2007
EDUCATION Minister Hazel Manning went on the defensive yesterday at a press conference called hastily at her St Clair head office, even though she confirmed Newsday’s exclusive story of yesterday’s front page of thousands of children in three junior secondary schools going to school two or three days a week while the de-shifting of these schools was still taking place. With a stern look on her face and both hands folded across her chest, Manning, who is the wife of Prime Minister Patrick Manning, told Newsday its story was “part of a deliberate, nasty plot which was dishonest and political in nature”.
Yesterday in its report, Newsday reported the complaints of several parents and members of the Chaguanas Junior Secondary Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) over the students at Mt Hope, Mucurapo and Chaguanas Junior Secondary schools attending classes for only two days in the five-day school week, on a rotational basis because there was insufficient space to accommodate students. Chairman of the Chaguanas Junior Secondary Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Jadis Harripersad was reported as saying although the school has been de-shifted, students attend school on a “phased basis” with Forms One and Three students attending classes only on Tuesdays and Thursdays and staying home on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while Forms Two and Four students attend classes on those three days. Consequently, the Forms Two and Four students stay home on Tuesdays and Thursdays. At Mt Hope Junior Secondary School, students in nine Form Two classes attend school on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while the Form II students attend classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
At Mucurapo, Forms III and I students attend classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays while Forms II and IV students attend classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. However, yesterday afternoon a resolute Mrs Manning who did not dispute the facts of the Newsday story, insisted that although there were problems at present, there would be greater advantages for students attending school on a full-day system. Ten schools were de-shifted and converted in September 2006 and an additional four schools were de-shifted this year. “Because the schools were constructed more than 30 years ago, the refurbishment has presented a challenge to upgrade the supply of electricity to meet the increased demands,” Manning said.
“Based on these unintended delays, three schools have been functioning on a rotation system with students attending on alternative days,” she confirmed, adding that the de-shifting “sought to sufficiently upgrade the existing school plant to accommodate the student population as well as to facilitate the expanded curriculum to function as all-day school, pending the rebuilding of the schools for which designs and tenders have been completed.” She promised that rotation at the three schools would cease by mid-November with the completion of pre-engineered classrooms. Manning further reiterated that “greater benefits” would be derived since students would not have to move to another school after the three years were over and they would also be afforded an extra hour of class time under the full-day system.
“Even though we are having problems at this point in time there are many more benefits to de-shifting than keeping a shift system in place,” Manning insisted. Questioned on the loss of teaching time through the rotation system, Manning said the extra time would be worked out and arrangements were in place so students would be able to recover the lost hours. These included she said, continuation classes, weekend classes and with the possibility of students even repeating a year if required. She cited Mt Hope Junior Secondary as an example where school students attend Home Work Centre on Monday until Thursday from 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm. “The time loss now would be made up,” Manning declared adding that the alternatives were given and the school authorities had the freedom to choose how the lost time would be recovered.
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,67098.html