BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – WHILE publicly announcing that he welcomes the comments of “critics”, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education the Hon. Shawn K. Richards is also questioning why some people have waited until now to react the way they are regarding the Basseterre High School situation.
Richards was the guest on yesterday’s (Oct. 29) ‘Working for You’ radio programme, where he gave an overview of some of the advancements made in the ministries for which he has responsibility.
He said since the Team Unity Government took office, it has made some changes to the “shift system” arrangement under which the Washington Archibald High School and Basseterre High School students and faculty were operating.
The Minister informed that 18 temporary classrooms are currently being constructed in the vicinity of the WAHS which would house BHS’ first and second formers.
He also informed that plans are afoot to find a suitable location for the construction of a new BHS complex.
Richards said Members of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition have been making statements about the BHS saga and are now taking action, which he claimed they had not taken while in Government.
“In the interim I continue to meet with parents and students in particular, because when persons are out there making statements, it is the students who are actually there in the classrooms and they are the best ones to give first-hand information as to what is happening, not persons who never visited Basseterre High School throughout the entire ordeal. But now, for one day, decide to visit and all of a sudden they have all of the solutions and they knock all of the issues.
“When you look at the current Leader of the Opposition, he was Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, and teachers, students and parents can say to you that not one single day over the last two years when they were experiencing problems he ever visited Basseterre High School. Never once went on the compound to speak to teacher, to speak to a student to find out their concerns, to find out the issues affecting them.”
The Deputy Prime Minister also spoke of the Parliamentary Representative for Constituency Number Three.
“The current Representative for West Basseterre, he continues to visit. He is the Representative for West Basseterre, he lives in West Basseterre. The former Principal of Basseterre High School lives in West Basseterre. She has said to me that not once he ever even picked up a phone to call her to ask how are the students doing, never once expressed an interest in finding out how the students, if from no other constituency…how the students from West Basseterre are faring under the then circumstances up at the Basseterre High School.”
Making reference to the former Minister of Education and the former Minister of Health, Deputy PM Richards said they did not do enough to ensure that students and teachers of the BHS were operating in a safe environment.
“The current Senator, when he was the Minister of Education, he presided over the very same conditions up at Basseterre High School. He stood up in Parliament and went on record to say that the issues affecting the students and teachers were psychological in nature. How is it that we don’t have the very same complaints now coming from the teachers, now coming from the students, now that they have been placed in a totally different environment?
“…the former Minister of Health, the Representative for Central Basseterre; this matter has been largely a health issue. What did she do to bring an end to this particular situation? They did nothing over the last two years! They basically said to teachers and students, return to the school, return to the campus, there is nothing wrong.”
The actions of the Team Unity Government, as expressed by Richards, speak louder than their words; in that they have made the effort in relocating the faculty and students of the BHS to a safer working environment.
He however declared that he embraces comments of critics, especially because there might be some suggestions that could be gleaned from them.
“The critics have been out there making all kinds of statements, but I don’t expect any differently from the critics. As a matter of a fact, I welcome the comments from the critics because sometimes coming out of those particular comments you may get suggestions for improvement…”
