Primary school admissions sep 2021 term

[nismotrinidappa]

Is anyone having issues regarding school admissions? I applied to some schools in central and have not heard any response or any positive response yet. This thing still rigged?

[widdyphuck]

Is anyone having issues regarding school admissions? I applied to some schools in central and have not heard any response or any positive response yet. This thing still rigged?

Did you pay your bribe?

[nismotrinidappa]

Covid had schools closed wdf

[Strugglerzinc]

Ever hear bout social media?

[goalpost]

Call the schools you applied to.
But yeah, its still a who yuh know scenario

[Dizzy28]

For my son I applied to El Dorado North Hindu, El Do South Hindu and Tunapuna Hindu.

Got accepted to all. The principals all called in April starting with Tunapuna Hindu.

[nismotrinidappa]

I emailed ministry of education. I called schools no response. Going to drive by Tuesday. Hoping I get a good response from the remaining two

[nismotrinidappa]

Anybody have links for primary schools in chaguanas?

[Drea]

Where in central? My sister applied for my niece to 2 schools in Couva, both called with acceptance notices.

Or is it that you looking to hear from the 'elites' *cough* Presb *cough*

[paid_influencer]

see, that is the problem. some children get through multiple places - meaning they take up multiple seats (your niece took 2 seats).

while some children will not get through at all, because there aren't any more seats available.

the system itself is flawed and the fix for parents is to email the MoH and let them sort it out after (while you stress out in between).

[teems1]

Where in central? My sister applied for my niece to 2 schools in Couva, both called with acceptance notices.

Or is it that you looking to hear from the 'elites' *cough* Presb *cough*

Elites?

Those primary schools are some of the lowest funded with the least maintained facilities.

What makes it elite in your book?

[Drea]

Where in central? My sister applied for my niece to 2 schools in Couva, both called with acceptance notices.

Or is it that you looking to hear from the 'elites' *cough* Presb *cough*

Elites?

Those primary schools are some of the lowest funded with the least maintained facilities.

What makes it elite in your book?

They are not elites in my book, but that is the general perception by some based on the hoops some parents choose to go through to get their children in. The process is never fair.

[Drea]

see, that is the problem. some children get through multiple places - meaning they take up multiple seats (your niece took 2 seats).

while some children will not get through at all, because there aren't any more seats available.

the system itself is flawed and the fix for parents is to email the MoH and let them sort it out after (while you stress out in between).

I'm not clear on the guidelines but does it say you are not allowed to apply to more than 1 school? It is not a case of taking up 2 spaces because you cannot send your child to both. Parents can decline and then obviously a space is opened to someone else. If you only apply to one school lets say based on proximity and there are 20 more children who live closer and get in, where does that leave your child?

[paid_influencer]

^to be clear, the guidelines say to apply to ALL schools in your area, so your sister did the right thing.

I'm just pointing out there isn't any coordination between schools, so the kids getting through at multiple places are using up seats that will have to be re-assigned by the MoH a few weeks later. Stress for parents who ent get through anywhere in the mean time.

[Dizzy28]

^to be clear, the guidelines say to apply to ALL schools in your area, so your sister did the right thing.

I'm just pointing out there isn't any coordination between schools, so the kids getting through at multiple places are using up seats that will have to be re-assigned by the MoH a few weeks later. Stress for parents who ent get through anywhere in the mean time.

Board Schools coordinate.
In my case I applied to 3 SDMS schools and the principals come together and discuss any potential scenarios where a child has been accepted to multiple schools.

[bluefete]

^to be clear, the guidelines say to apply to ALL schools in your area, so your sister did the right thing.

I'm just pointing out there isn't any coordination between schools, so the kids getting through at multiple places are using up seats that will have to be re-assigned by the MoH a few weeks later. Stress for parents who ent get through anywhere in the mean time.

Board Schools coordinate.
In my case I applied to 3 SDMS schools and the principals come together and discuss any potential scenarios where a child has been accepted to multiple schools.

Now coming to post the same thing. I know of one Board school where the principals in that district had a Zoom meeting to decide who would get which child.

It seemed to work well except for one principal who wanted to take every child with potential and leave the "scraps" for the others.

[zoom rader]

Vene kids getting admittance?

Max?

[widdyphuck]

Vene kids getting admittance?

Max?

They can't even talk English buddy

[nismotrinidappa]

Jerningham gave bogus reasons for rejection. Waiting on na answer.

Montrose supposed to start replying this week.

Chaguanas rc say they full

Chaguanas Gov't hasn't started the process yet.

Chanderganore say they full and out catchment area

[nismotrinidappa]

Any updates people? Still nada for me so far. Montrose full.

[De Dragon]

see, that is the problem. some children get through multiple places - meaning they take up multiple seats (your niece took 2 seats).

while some children will not get through at all, because there aren't any more seats available.

the system itself is flawed and the fix for parents is to email the MoH and let them sort it out after (while you stress out in between).

I'm not clear on the guidelines but does it say you are not allowed to apply to more than 1 school? It is not a case of taking up 2 spaces because you cannot send your child to both. Parents can decline and then obviously a space is opened to someone else. If you only apply to one school lets say based on proximity and there are 20 more children who live closer and get in, where does that leave your child?

My sister went to a primary school in Couva and did very well in SEA, so I applied for my child when that time came, and was told, mistakenly as it turns out, that the kindergarten that she attended gets their better students accepted there virtually every time. I got blanked , You think I'm taking that chance with my second child? You know what it's like to be schlepping children to different schools with different start/end times?
So I applied for several schools the second time around, ironically I got through with the first school that I originally had foolishly pinned all my hopes on

[Dizzy28]

My son started primary school this term and I must say the school has done quite well for students from a school level and from an amenities level.

Online classes have been pretty robust (maybe a little too robust for Year 1s). And those students who needed devices were provided ones separate and apart from the govnt provided laptops which was limited. Apparently past parents and students donated laptops.

Today we collected a package they prepared for all Year 1s - A book bag, with pens, pencils, markers, crayons, note books, erasers etc. Donated by a past student who now lives in the States.

[paid_influencer]

Fears over no places for thousands – Chaos could loom in new school term in September

HEADS of the denominational boards of education are fearing chaos and anger as thousands of children may be turned away from denominational-run primary schools come the new term in September.

Why? Because of an acute shortage of teachers which is being blamed on no hiring of new teachers by the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) since last October.

Education regulations dictate that there be a specific maximum number of students per teacher across the system. This ratio is one teacher to 30 students from Standards 1-5, and one teacher to 25 students in the infants department.

With such a shortage of teachers, there is the fear that children will have to be turned away when the catchment figure per class is reached.

Heads of the various denominational education boards met on Wednesday to address the critical teacher shortage and arrived at a consensus that if vacancies are not filled before the start of the new term, they would be unable to accept the usual intake for the new 2023/2024 academic year.

Present at the meeting were representatives from the Catholic, Presbyterian, Hindu (Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha), Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Muslim (Trinidad Muslim League) and Vedic schools.

Rest of the Article:

Newsday spoke to representatives from the Catholic, the Maha Sabha and the Presbyterian boards who said since last October there have been no appointment of any new teachers.

Maha Sabha secretary general Vijay Maharaj told Newsday, with the crime rate soaring, it is critical that children are not denied an education.

He anticipates chaos at his schools, starting next Monday, when parents of infants seeking a place in the Maha Sabha's 43 primary schools, would be told whether their child has been accepted or not.

He said between July and December, 21 applicants were interviewed by the SDMS and referred to the ministry for interview, in alignment with the terms of the Concordat. Not one vacancy since has been filled.

“I have 11 absent teachers at present, and by September it would be 14, because three of them are resigning. I cannot take a full intake of infants by almost 200,” Maharaj said.

He is also fearful that parents, unaware of the reasons behind the denominational-run schools' inability to accept their children, could turn around and claim discrimination.

He said the Tunapuna Hindu primary school usual takes in about 100 new students annually, but because of the teacher shortage, this has been reduced to 75, and of that number, 32 from that school's pre-school must be accommodated, leaving space for only 43.

If the usual intake of 100 could have been met, the space for non-pre-school students coming in to this particular school would have been 68.

“I can only take 43 students from a three-mile radius and I already have 147 applications. This is not unique to me. It is right across the denominational education boards.

“What am I going to tell parents? They will vilify us, accuse us of discrimination, so I must speak out,” Maharaj said.

Chairman of the Presbyterian Primary Schools Board of Education Vickram Ramlal said no new teachers have been appointed to their schools since October.

“The TSC has stopped the recruitment process that the board has been using, what we consider settled practice (the Concordat) and instead, have instituted a new system which the board has not agreed to.”

Both the Presbyterian Board as well as the Maha Sabha are pursuing litigation in this matter.

Ramlal said there are 40 vacancies to be filled among the 72 Presbyterian primary schools. This coupled with teachers attending workshops and seminars, on sick leave, or on covid quarantine, means there is a critical teaching shortage across Presbyterian schools. “We have a real crisis on our hands,” Ramlal said.

“We cannot ask our principals to take students when there are not enough teachers available. There is a prescribed, standard teacher-student ratio.

"If we combine classes, then we would be asking teachers to teach above the pupil-teacher ratio as agreed to by the ministry and TTUTA.”

CEO of the Catholic Education Board Sharon Mangroo said their estimated shortfall at present is 65 teachers from among their 118 primary schools. She said that figure could increase by September.

“We are being positive in our outlook. Parents would be advised about which applications have been successful, but you have until September to receive children.

“We are hopeful by September this issue would be resolved and teachers would be appointed," she said.

She said the TSC, chaired by former school principal Elizabeth Crouch, has accepted a proposal from the Catholic Board of Education.

“That means they are willing to talk. We are looking forward to maybe some further communication so maybe we could negotiate an arrangement, one that meets the requirements of the board for ensuring the preservation and character of our schools and at the same time, meet the requirements of the ministry and the TSC.”

MINISTER RESPONDS

While calls to TSC chairman Crouch were not answered, Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, replying via a text message, said both the commission and her ministry will meet next week to review the interview process.

“The recruitment of teachers is the responsibility of the TSC, which has delegated some functions to the ministry.

"The vacant positions in denominational schools were advertised in January 2023, applicants have been reviewed by the (denominational) boards and the boards' recommendations have been sent to the ministry and the TSC.

“The TSC is meeting with the ministry next week to review the interview process, and once approved, interviews will begin. Boards were advised in January that as an interim measure, they could choose suitable persons from the existing Order of Merit List to fill vacancies temporarily, while the recruitment process is ongoing.

"The Order of Merit Listing is of persons who have been successfully recruited for teaching and are waiting to be placed at schools. That option is still available to the boards,” Gadsby-Dolly said.

Great is the PNM

[metalgear2095]

Around what time does the school call you after you've submitted the application forms?