The 2024 academic term kicked off across Trinidad and Tobago yesterday, with all 777 government-run and state-assisted schools welcoming students back following a two-month summer break. But the celebration of a new school year has been overshadowed by widespread criticism from the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA), which says dozens of institutions across the country still face serious unaddressed infrastructure and safety hazards that put students and staff at risk.
In a series of interviews and public statements released yesterday, TTUTA president Crystal Ashe outlined a litany of unresolved problems reported by educators and school leaders: widespread furniture shortages, bat infestations that create unsanitary learning conditions, faulty electrical systems, non-functional water infrastructure, and incomplete construction and repair projects that were supposed to be finished before the first day of class. Ashe emphasized that these are not minor inconveniences, but direct threats to the health and safety of every person entering school buildings.
Ashe, who previously helped collect infrastructural data for the Ministry of Education, argued that the current crisis is entirely preventable. The ministry has long maintained the School Infrastructural Management (SIM) platform, a digital system where school principals log repair needs as they arise — with some requests sitting unaddressed for years. All the information the ministry needed to prioritize and complete repairs over the vacation break was already available in the system, Ashe said, adding that ministry officials simply failed to act in a timely manner.
“The ministry dropped the ball on school preparations this term,” Ashe told TV6’s Morning Edition yesterday. He pointed to one high-profile example: crews from the Ministry of Works and Transport (MTS) only arrived at Malabar Government Primary School for the first time to start repairs this past Sunday, just one day before students were set to return to class.
Pushing back against claims that his criticism is politically motivated, Ashe said TTUTA is only stating verifiable facts to protect educators and students. He drew a clear distinction between his role as an education advocate and that of Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath, calling on political leaders to show greater accountability. “When can we get political maturity?” Ashe asked. “Just be mature enough to say I made a mistake, I didn’t go as I planned.”
TTUTA officers conducted on-site visits to dozens of schools across the country over the past 48 hours, and their on-the-ground reporting confirms a wide range of ongoing hazards. Multiple schools including Arima Girls’ Government, Malabar Composite Secondary and Brazil Roman Catholic Primary are grappling with critical furniture shortages, while infrastructural construction drags on at Arima North Secondary. San Rafael RC Primary struggles with a broken water pump and a persistent bat infestation, and South East Port of Spain Government School still has nowhere near enough desks and chairs for teaching staff. At St Hilda’s Government School, bats have made their home in the school’s ceiling, creating ongoing health risks.
A recent electrical fire at Gloster Lodge Moravian School left affected areas of the campus still exposed and unsafe, forcing one class and its teacher to relocate to a temporary space. At Cunupia Government Primary School, ongoing flooring work in the administration wing has displaced the principal and vice principal, while multiple hazards have been documented at Fyzabad Anglican Secondary School.
In its official statement, TTUTA clarified it is not seeking confrontation with the ministry. Instead, the association says it is fulfilling its core responsibility to highlight threats to educator and student safety, and push for systemic improvements to school planning. The organization noted that the core issue is a systemic failure: most vacation repair projects started far too late to meet the reopening deadline, despite all necessary data being available through the ministry’s own infrastructure tracking system. TTUTA is calling on the ministry to move beyond just collecting data through its SIM platform, and start using that information to plan and complete repairs well in advance of future school terms.
One notable exception to the general reopening made headlines yesterday: students from Infants to Standard Two at Grant Memorial Presbyterian Primary School were relocated from the school’s original San Fernando Carib Street campus after a section of the building was deemed structurally unsafe by the Ministry of Works. For the duration of the 2024 term, these students will hold classes in a specially prepared space at St Paul’s Anglican School on Ruth Avenue, San Fernando.
In its official statement released ahead of reopening, the Ministry of Education reaffirmed its commitment to a range of ongoing education initiatives, including the national School Nutrition Programme with updated nutrition standards, school supply and book donation drives, digital and AI-enhanced learning programs, and expanded support for students and families. The ministry also confirmed that all Form 1 students will receive their promised free laptops this term, and the S.A.F.E. Police in Schools Programme will continue its work across the country.
In response to the repair backlog, the ministry stated that all outstanding work will be completed after school hours and on weekends to avoid disrupting classes, and that all required health and safety standards will be maintained to protect students and staff.
The National Parent Teacher Association (NPTA) has echoed TTUTA’s calls for urgent action. NPTA president Walter Stewart urged the ministry to resolve all outstanding issues as quickly as possible in a WhatsApp voice note released yesterday. Stewart noted that the association is pleased the vast majority of schools were able to open on schedule, but remains deeply concerned about unaddressed hazards at a number of institutions.
Stewart confirmed that two schools — Fyzabad Anglican Primary School and Gloster Lodge Moravian Primary School — were forced to close early yesterday due to the severity of their ongoing issues. He also highlighted additional problems at Malabar Secondary, which faces furniture shortages, and schools in the Toco area, where students are grappling with transport disruptions.
TTUTA has confirmed it will continue to monitor conditions at schools across the country throughout the opening weeks of the term, and will keep advocating for safe, healthy learning environments that meet the needs of all students and educators.