Clarification on no show at Couva West meeting

In an article titled “No Show Garcia angers Couva West Sec parents” in the Newsday Newspaper on Saturday 25^th January 2020, it was quoted that parents felt slighted by the non-appearance of the Honourable Anthony Garcia Minister of Education at a stakeholder meeting. The Ministry has maintained it’s commitment to the stakeholders of Couva West Secondary School and throughout the last week, Dr Lovell Francis Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, and other Ministry Officials visited the school to ensure that the proposed and scheduled work were almost to completion. The meeting held by the CouvaWest stakeholders was held on Thursday 23^rd January, 2020 at a time when both Ministers Garcia and Francis would have been attending the President’s Medal Award Ceremony at the President’s House.

There was no disrespect meant or malicious intent behind neither Minister being at the meeting but rather a scheduling conflict. The repair works at the school are still underway and stakeholders will be apprised of the progress and steps forward within the coming week. Minister Garcia stated that “I have publicly and privately given my commitment to ensuring that this school returns to a state of normalcy in the shortest possible timeframe. It would never be my intention to disregard the interests of any stakeholder in education and we will continue to work to the benefit of all.”