The bottom flat of the head teacher attached to Maria’s Lodge Nursery School is being loaned to children of her school at no cost as the institution undergoes repairs, the Education Ministry has said.
This clarification comes on the heels of an allegation from the opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Chairman, Shurwayne Holder, who said that the teacher, a member of the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is financially benefitting from the arrangement.
Holder, on his Facebook page, yesterday posted pictures of the school and the teacher’s house. He wrote: “Maria’s Lodge Nursery School – Region 2 now operating at a Private PPP Member’s Bottom House due to repairs now being executed on the school. They are creating ways to put money in the pockets of Friends, Family and Favourites.”
But the Education Minister, Priya Manickchand has denied this and is calling on the parliamentarian to remove the post and apologise to the teacher.
She wrote: “Shurwayne Holder not everybody is like you. This headteacher has kindly offered her premises free of charge to accommodate the children until October 2nd when the repairs are expected to be done in the school. You would have preferred to have the children suffer so you could run there with a picket in hand. You have no care for people and children. Remove your post and apologise to the Headteacher.”
Holder followed up with another post, but did not respond directly to the minister’s clarification. In fact, he said that the minister’s “excuse” does not make the situation acceptable. He added that “they”, supposedly the government, is not short of excuses.
Still, he has not apologised but instead, shifted his focus to the national Mathematics grade.
“I am patiently waiting for her to answer why the Mathematics grade moved from 48% in 2019 to 31% in 2024,” he wrote.
