Cops reopen Leeds Primary School
Padlocks placed on the Leeds Primary School on the Corentyne by parents protesting the deplorable state of the building last Monday were on Thursday removed by the police and teachers reported back for duty. The closure of the school was forced when a child broke an arm after falling throught a rotting floor board two weeks ago. An official of the Region Six Education Department told Stabroek News on Thursday that even though the school building was reopened parents still kept their children away. He said that the parents are demanding a new school building. The closure of the school followed the shutting down of the Golden Grove Primary School on the East Coast Demerara by the school's Parent Teachers' Association on the same day. They closed the school after a teacher injured herself during a fall through a rotting floor board. Classes have since resumed for the children preparing for the Secondary School's Entrance Examinations but classes for the remainder of the Golden Grove school will resume on Monday. Reports out of the Corentyne have said that parents of children attending the Leeds Primary School want a new school building because of the dilapidated state of the current building. They have deemed it a hazard. Ministry of Education officials told Stabroek News on Thursday that the reconstruction or rehabilitation of the school is not on any major programme. Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education Earl Boatswain said that early visits to the school will be made by the Central Ministry to ascertain its state. Asked whether visits are made to schools prior to their reopening, Boatswain said that this was not done but a recommendation has been made for the establishment of a body which will look at the state of school buildings. While classes resumed for the SSEE students of the Golden Grove Primary last week under the Haslington/Grove Neighbourhood Democratic Council offices, classes are to restart on Monday for the remainder of the school population at a building owned by Guyana Stores Ltd. A Region Four Education Department official told Stabroek News that the Region Four administration has assisted in making the GSL building habitable and electrical works were to be completed on Thursday. Furniture has already been moved to the GSL building. The official noted that classes will be held on a shift system. The children in Prep A, Prep B and Primary One will have classes during the morning hours while those in Primary Two and Primary Three will have classes during the afternoon hours. A new building to house the Golden Grove Primary is to be built under the Primary Education Improvement Project. (Miranda La Rose)
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