Classes due to resume tomorrow at President's College
Guyana Chronicle
May 5, 2004

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CLASSES at President's College will resume tomorrow following an almost two-week-long suspension due to the mysterious fire last week Monday that ravaged the male dormitory at the prestigious institution resulting in millions of dollars in losses and displacement of the traumatised students.

According to a senior staff member at President's College, the fire-affected students began 'settling in' yesterday afternoon, following a meeting earlier in the day among students, parents and teachers.

The staff member indicated that this meeting was to work out the "necessary logistics" required before actual classes can resume.

He also said that those students who were directly affected by the fire at their school are receiving the financial assistance the government promised them shortly after the fire.

Each affected student will receive $25,000 compensation for losses, which included clothes, footwear, textbooks, assignments and other personal items.

They began receiving this compensation yesterday, and according to the staff member, this process should be completed by tomorrow whereby every affected student would receive their financial assistance.

Following the mid-morning fire at President's College, classes were closed and all of the students were sent home until further notice.

The origin of the fire is yet to be ascertained and investigations are still ongoing.

In keeping with the financial commitment by the government to President's College students, Permanent Secretary within the Office of the President, Ms. Jennifer Webster last week presented the school's Principal, Mr. Stanley Lewis with a $2.7M cheque.

The students affected by the fire are being accommodated at locations away from the compound.

Some of the students are being accommodated at the Guyana Women's Leadership Institute at Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara and others at the Sophia Exhibition Centre in Georgetown.

It is understood that parents raised the question of transportation for the students at yesterday's meeting and assurances were made to ensure that the students get to classes on time and are taken back safely to the location where they are being temporarily housed.

The government has, meanwhile, reiterated its commitment to rebuild the dormitory as quickly as possible.

This is estimated to cost almost $100M.