A BOLD sign outside the St. Thomas (Mayaro) R.C. School in Radix Village, Mayaro, reads “check the principal before entering classrooms”, but the truth is there is really none to check.

In fact, checks by TnT Mirror revealed that not only is there no principal, teachers are missing and so the school has been described by concerned parents as one in a state of crisis.

When Mirror visited the school, many of the classes were without teachers and students were alone in the classrooms doing whatever they wanted.

In one of the infant classes, one child sat at a teacher’s desk where she played teacher.

There are at present four classes without teachers and students are left unsupervised for the entire day.

Angry parents, active members of the school’s Parent Teachers’ Association (PTA) who gathered at the school’s compound last Wednesday morning to protest the treatment meted out to the youngsters at the rural school, told Mirror that learning has been seriously affected at the institution since the start of the new term.

St. Thomas (Mayaro) R.C. School with a population of just over 350 students is without a principal as well as teachers for two Infants, Standard I and Standard IV classes.

Acting principal, Miss Roberts, retired last September and senior teacher Marva Noel now doubles as acting principal and teacher, since the Ministry of Education is yet to appoint someone to take over her classroom.

“We don’t know what to do again,” said worried parent Lana Brown-Hughes.

“The Catholic Education Board told us to deal with the Ministry of Education as they were the ones to do the final interview for teachers, but all our cries have fallen on deaf ears.”

Brown-Hughes said all they ever get when they call the Education Ministry are promises.

“Nothing else,” she snapped.

She said it had become impossible at times for the teachers who turn up to work to simultaneously teach their respective class and supervise another.

“It’s even more difficult as the classrooms are already small and separated only by blackboards.

“When no teacher is in front a class, students become unruly and disturb other classes,” she said.

Because of the situation, concerned members of the community, including retired teachers, have been forced to step in to help the situation.

“I am one. Although I don’t have children at the school, I come here to help bring some order,” explained housewife Paula Warrick.

“It’s really hard for the teachers and it’s unfair to them. The teachers are doing the best they could under present conditions.”

“In the next few months there will be National Test and there is no Standard I teacher.

“Children come in from pre-school and have not been taught anything since …”

So fed-up are parents with their children being left idle in classrooms all day, that some have begun sending them to other schools.

“Not all parents can afford to do that, so some are forced to leave the children there because of financial constraints.

St. Thomas (Mayaro) R.C. School badly in
need of teachers.

Worried parents gather on school compound
to discuss the crisis.

An infant class without a teacher.

Another parent who gives her time to keep
children quiet.

A makeshift cafeteria.

Toilet area also used as a storage room.

Male and female teachers’ toilet.