Education Minister Shaik Baksh on Monday said that investigations into complaints by parents that they were told to take furniture for their children, at the Richard Ishmael Secondary School, are still ongoing.
It has been a month since the allegations surfaced. Baksh said that the matter is not closed and that information will be provided to this newspaper at a later date.
The issue was highlighted on September 3, the beginning of the new school term, when newly enrolled students at the school turned up for class only to find their classrooms in disarray and that they had nowhere to sit. Reports are that a school official had told parents at the orientation in July to purchase furniture for their children. The official also reportedly told them where to make the said purchases. A sign relaying this information was also posted outside the school.
Permanent Secretary at the ministry Pulandar Kandhi had said that he was concerned about the parents’ complaints and that the official “was totally out of order.” On that occasion he had assured this newspaper that an investigation would be launched into the matter. Kandhi had said too that asking parents to bring furniture for students is against the ministry’s protocol and if that was indeed the case the official should have known better.
Following the incident, parents had raised the issue of reimbursement for the money spent but the ministry has since said that a decision will be taken once the investigation has been completed.
