Arrangements in place to help fire-affected PC boys
Stabroek News
April 29, 2004
Arrangements are to be put in place to facilitate students of President's College (PC) who lost school-based assessments (SBAs) in Monday's fire, which destroyed the boys' dormitory and left many without accommodation.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon said yesterday, when he held his weekly post-Cabinet briefing at the Office of the President, that efforts were being made by officials of the Ministry of Education with regard to the burnt SBAs. He said as a result, there has been a significant reduction in the uncertainty and tension among the students.
Further, the Ministry of Education has been tasked with the responsibility of providing estimates for the rebuilding of the burnt-out boys dormitory. Luncheon said the funds for this would come either from the government or a donor. But he said regardless of where the funds came from, the commitment to rebuild is there.
The fire is believed to be electrical in origin but confirmation on the cause of it is still pending from the Guyana Fire Service. In yesterday's edition and the day before, Stabroek News had reported the comments of a Guyana Power and Light (GPL) engineer to the effect that he thought the wiring at President's College was faulty. Stabroek News has been advised that the individual was not authorised to speak on GPL's behalf and could therefore have only offered the comment in his private capacity. We regret the implication contained in the reports that he was speaking on behalf of GPL.
According to Luncheon, 50 of the affected students are from the hinterland region. The government has already offered financial support to the student body and put arrangements for contingencies in place.
President Bharrat Jagdeo and Minister of Education Henry Jeffrey visited the scene on the day of the fire and commiserated with the students and staff of the school and members of the school's Parent/Teachers Association (PTA).