Former Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves blasted the NDP government’s preparation for the new school year, predicting a “total mess” when institutions finally open on September 7. In a recent broadcast, Gonsalves warned that students and teachers will face critical deficiencies, specifically a severe shortage of furniture and a lack of essential staff.
Gonsalves predicted that when the school term begins, there will not be enough desks or chairs for students to sit on, nor sufficient furniture for staff. He explained that the government’s failure stems from a lack of foresight in the assessment process. According to the former Prime Minister, while principals submit furniture lists in late April or early May, these numbers are always insufficient.
He noted that the current administration has failed to account for the “furniture breaking up exercise” that typically occurs during the final nine to ten weeks of the previous school term.
To compensate for this inevitable wear and tear, Gonsalves asserted that a 20% to 25% buffer should have been added to the orders—a practice he claimed was standard during his tenure to ensure furniture did not go to waste. He even pointed to specific local contractors, such as Dier in Spring Village, who have the professional capacity to produce furniture on a timely basis if properly mobilized.
Beyond physical infrastructure, Gonsalves sounded the alarm on a staffing crisis within the education system. He predicted that both primary and secondary schools would be short of teachers in “vital subject areas”.
Furthermore, he warned that several schools might open without a permanent or acting principal, instead being left with merely “somebody in charge”. He attributed this failure to a breakdown in administrative coordination between the Chief Personnel Office and the Public Service Commission, describing the current state of appointments as a “total mess”.
Gonsalves contrasted the current delays with his own record, claiming that under his leadership, the opening of the school term was the “most significant event” in the national calendar, involving over 30,000 students and thousands of teachers and parents. He mocked the government’s excuses for the one-week delay, labeling them “mealy-mouthed foolishness” and “baby play”.
