The School re-repair program for the July/August vacation got off to a late start due to challenges in compliance with the new procurement legislation. Assistant Secretary in the Division of Education, Research, and Technology, Orlando explained that E-IDICOT is managing all the repairs, but they experienced difficulties in securing contractors approved by the Office of the Procurement Regulator. As a result, Tobago TTUTA Officer, Bradon Roberts is apprehensive about a smooth re-opening of schools.
Roberts acknowledges that the government is working with funding constraints but he hoped that issues such as rat and termite infestations would be priorities. Assistant Secretary Kerr pointed out that termites became a significant issue during the nearly two-year closure of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He mentioned that efforts are being made to effectively manage this problem across many schools on the island. While a scope of work was submitted in May, Kerr noted that new issues keep popping up, leading to last-minute additions to the repairs. TTUTA, however, hoped that certain suggestions from the Division would address these issues.
According to Kerr, the Division gets less than what is needed to manage education in Tobago. He assured they are trying their best to manage and all considered, he is confident all schools will be ready for the opening of the new school year on Monday 4th September. In the meantime, TTUTA Tobago is watching and hoping for the best.
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