After an almost year-long legal battle two private schools in Maraval have finally opened their doors.
The Arbor and Rosewood Schools moved into their building at Long Circular Road, Maraval, hours after High Court Judge Devindra Rampersad lifted an injunction against the school’s management EDFAM, on Thursday.
The removal of the injunction follows a judgment delivered in EDFAM’s favour last week, in which Rampersad ruled that the Diego Martin Regional Corporation’s repeated moves to reject the building on the grounds that it was unfit for occupation by the schools were unjustifiable.
Rampersad had ruled that the corporation acted irrationally and unreasonably when it weighed potential traffic concerns raised by residents of the area and the Director of Highways, before the schools were set to relocate to the location for the start of the school term last September.
“There was no suggestion that the fact that there being a traffic problem created a safety issue in relation to access by members of the public,” Rampersad said.
When the T&T Guardian visited the schools yesterday parents and staff were still in the process of moving supplies and furniture into the building. However, many of the classrooms were already outfitted and filled with young students. Both schools have been operating out of temporary locations since October last year. Some of their 200 students were housed at the St Finbar’s RC Church in Diego Martin, while the rest were accommodated at the Church of the Assumption in Maraval, which is located next door to the school’s building.
Many teachers and students, most of whom are between five and seven years old, said the were very happy to finally be able to use their new school.
“We would like to thank all who embraced us and made us comfortable during the past few months. It has really been a wild ride,” Ann Powder, an administrator at the school, said.
In a brief interview EDFAM director Andrew Bernard said that he and other parents were pleased by Rampersad’s ruling in the case.
“We don’t intend to be discriminated against,” Bernard said, as he stated that his organisation would continue to resist any further moves by the corporation and residents to block the schools.
Asked about the impact of the controversial dispute on the school’s population, Bernard said three quarters of the students and their parents stayed loyal and supportive over the past year.
“During the past few months were have had many people applying for their children to come to the schools. Between yesterday (Thursday) and today we have had a rush of calls,” Bernard said.
He also sought to dispel the residents’ initial fears of the potential increase in traffic because of the schools and he said there was no noticeable change in traffic congestion over the brief time the school has occupied the building.
“We have videos from this morning if you don’t believe us,” Bernard said.