Was the theft of tiles the only reason for the delay in completing Fort Ordnance primary school?

Dear Editor,

I am saddened though not surprised, to learn of the closure of the Fort Ordnance Primary School as reported in your publication of September 8.  Indeed a few days prior to this, the public was given notice of such a possibility when SN published an article regarding the theft from the contractor by a security guard of some $77,000 worth in materials. Since then it was suggested that this could cause a delay in completion of the work.  Shocking as it was, these materials were tiles and related items, and represent a mere 0.45% of the $17M contract sum.  Editor, it is difficult by any measure to fathom that less than half of one per cent of a job’s worth in materials of the nature reported can cause delays on that job.

Your publication of September 8 did allude to the fact that the delay was owing to the stolen materials “among other challenges”.

It would be interesting for the public to know of those “other challenges”.

It would be remiss of me not to publicly commend the Minister of Education for having left the comfort of his office to pay a visit to the school.

Such actions by public officials are a true display of responsibility.

I also applaud the willingness of the teachers to put in extra hours to make up for lost time when the school reopens.

Yours faithfully,
K Goberdhan