St George’s College, Barataria floods
St George’s College, Barataria after midday rain flooded parts of the school on September 17. – Photo by Angelo Marcelle
STAFF at St George’s College in Barataria are accusing the government of shoddy work after midday rain on September 17 flooded parts of the school.
Newsday arrived around 2.35 pm, when parents were waiting to pick up their children. The parents said they were unaware of the earlier flooding.
A viral 20-second video shared on social media showed students trapped in their classrooms, looking out at the flooded corridors. Some were seen standing on chairs to avoid the water.
One student told Newsday the flooding mainly affected the areas near the hall and the principal’s office and students were instructed to stay in their classrooms. The student said classes were not disrupted.
A teacher who did not wish to give their name said the flooding was caused by poor drainage near the hall, as well as issues with the roof in the hall and near the principal’s office.
The teacher said a form six student slipped and fell but was not injured.
Despite the flooding, the school did not close early.
On August 30, after 22 months of refurbishment, the school reopened, with the government saying $10 million had been spent on repairs.
However, members of the school’s Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA), who toured the school during the reopening ceremony expressed concerns about its condition.
The floors and hallways were covered in dust and water-soaked chairs were piled in heaps at the side of the building and in some classrooms.
A ceiling that had collapsed in front of the principal’s office led to the school’s closure in 2022, when students were relocated to the UTT Teachers’ College, Valsayn.
At the reopening, PTSA president Dionne Cross and Cecily Maynard-James, chairman of the local school board, St George’s College, and PTSA treasurer, gave the school’s condition very low marks.
“On a scale of one to ten, with ten being highly satisfied, I would give it a one,” said Cross.