QC students back at Thomas Lands
By Mark Ramotar
Queen's College (QC) students and teachers yesterday returned to their renovated Thomas Lands location, 110 days after fire destroyed the `heart' of the school building. The damage caused by the fire on November 16 had forced the relocation of approximately 934 QC students to the South Ruimveldt Primary School. The fire - estimated to have caused several hundred million dollars in damage - destroyed the middle section of the building causing the separation of the east and west wings of the school. It was decided by the QC Board of Governors that the students would be returned to QC at the end of Phase One of the rehabilitation process which entailed the completion of the east and west wings of the school. Chairman of the QC Board of Governors, Ronald Alli, in his remarks at a special general assembly to welcome the students and teachers back to QC, said that initial consideration was being given to have two additional wings in the compound. Alli said that the new wings would be south of the east and west wings and would stand independently and parallel to the two present wings. This means that the school will now have four wings that would be separate. The two completely rehabilitated east and west wings that are going to house the students have seven laboratories, 19 classrooms - one of which will be used for teachers and administrative staff - three large rooms and a Home Economics Department. "We have not yet fully risen but are continuing to rise and hope that within the next few months we will have an educational institution of the standard to take us fully prepared, into the twenty-first century," Alli said. He added that this could only be achieved by the cooperation and will of all parties involved. "We have had government's commitment, but we have allowed them to rest in Phase One," Alli said, adding that their assistance will, however, be needed in Phase Two of the rehabilitation process. Phase Two includes work still to be completed by the technical team and the completion of a modern building. Alli said that the corridors would be fire-proof and classroom furniture would be changed and standardised. He also said that the area which was once the assembly hall would be replaced with `a campus style structure'. Alli also said that the QC Board had decided to have a full-time counsellor on the school premises because "from time to time there will be students who will need counselling". A 15-year-old QC student was charged in connection with the fire and was subsequently placed on two years probation during which time he must visit a probation officer monthly. His parents were also ordered by the court to pay $5 million to the QC Restoration Fund at the rate of $1 million a year. The chairman also thanked all those who assisted in the rehabilitation process of Phase One. Among those he thanked were the contractors, those who gave financial assistance to the QC restoration fund and the Ministry of Education for their "extremely speedy response in deciding to accommodate the QC students at the South Ruimveldt Primary School." Education Minister, Dr Dale Bisnauth, in his address, said that persons, especially businessmen, who have made financial contributions to the QC restoration fund would be eligible for tax exemptions. Around G$20M was raised. Bisnauth gave the assurance that government and the Ministry of Education, having had no part in phase one of the rehabilitation, would be fully involved in the second phase. Cabinet recently reappointed the present Board of Governors of the school. QC Head Prefect, Ayanna Bernard, told Stabroek News that QC was a very special place and she was happy to be back. "Some of us, including myself, would be spending our last year at QC and it's very sad that something like this [the fire and subsequent relocation] happened during the middle of the school year," Bernard said. And a teacher expressed pleasure at the commendable job done in the first phase of the rehabilitation. He said that he had not expected to be back at Thomas Lands until next term since there was a tremendous amount of work to be done. 
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