Page 12 - AT

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 7 February 2020
Students adrift after quake as Puerto Rico schools shuttered

By DÁNICA COTO damage was reported. She
SANTA ISABEL, Puerto Rico worries about her eldest
(AP) — Class was about to daughter graduating on
start when a father drove time and the impact the
up to a gazebo that Nydsy delay of classes has had
Santiago had converted on her 13-year-old, who is a
into a makeshift preschool special education student.
and pulled her aside. Ortiz said that she hasn't
Could she please, he won- received any information
dered, take his daughter as at all about her daughter's
one of her students? Santi- high school, and was only
ago declined with a heavy told that her other daugh-
heart and explained that ter's middle school is not
she was only authorized to ready to open and it's un-
teach her own 23 students, clear when and if it will.
who are among more than "It's a good thing they didn't
194,000 children in Puerto rush to open schools," she
Rico left out of school near- said. "What I don't find
ly a month after a 6.4-mag- acceptable is that they
nitude earthquake hit the haven't found an alterna-
island's southern region tive."
and forced officials to per- Some of the calls Villan-
manently close dozens of ueva received were from
public schools. In this Tuesday, Feb. 4 photo, Martin G. Brumbaugh School kindergarten teacher Nydsy Santiago parents worried that the
gives class to her students under a gazebo at a municipal athletic park in Santa Isabel, Puerto
"I hope this goes back to Rico. ongoing inspections of
normal for everyone," said Associated Press public schools are only to
Santiago as she chased assess damage, not de-
after papers that the wind Whatsapp group. tion is not paying attention struck at a shallow depth in termine whether they can
blew away on a recent Santiago drove around the to this," she said. "There are the past two weeks, have withstand a strong earth-
morning. southern coastal town and other alternatives." forced re-inspections as quake or have structural
But few believe that will considered holding class The complaints over the seismologists warn the shak- weaknesses such as short
happen. Classes in this U.S. in a nearby park until she government's lack of re- ing will continue for weeks. columns. Still fresh in many
territory were supposed to spotted the swings and ce- sponse echoed those that At least 69 schools have parents' minds is the image
start Jan. 9, and while 331 ment benches. She even- arose after Hurricane Maria not passed inspection, and of a school in the southwest
schools opened late as a tually settled on a small ga- hit Puerto Rico as a Cate- Hernández has said that coastal town of Guanica
result of the quake, 61% zebo near a running track gory 4 storm in September Holy Week vacation would whose two top floors were
of the island's 856 public owned by the town whose 2017, causing more than be shortened to make up flattened by the quake just
schools remain shuttered officials supplied her with an estimated $100 billion in for lost time. Education of- two days before classes
as a growing number of plastic tables and chairs damage and killing an es- ficials also have said that were scheduled to start.
critics blame the island's and even installed white timated 2,975 people in its some schools would run Marcos Santana, director
Department of Education curtains to block out the aftermath. two different schedules to of Puerto Rico's Network for
for the situation. sun. The women planned to fol- accommodate students the Rights of Children and
Mercedes Martínez, presi- The curtains flew over the low Santiago's lead and from other regions while Youth, said there are plenty
dent of Puerto Rico's Fed- heads of her students this hoped to hold classes in teachers continue to de- of options that don't require
eration of Teachers, said week as they painted, other nearby gazebos if mand answers as to how four walls.
it's unacceptable that no swatted at clouds of gnats they obtained permission the situation would be han- "We recognize that it's an
alternatives have been while they laughed and from the parents, adding dled long term. extraordinary situation,
found for children who at- excitedly pointed to a mili- that they were tired of wait- Amid a lack of response but...the Department of
tend one of the 525 schools tary helicopter that buzzed ing for the government to from education officials, Education clearly did not
that remain closed. past them. Watching the act. some parents have opted have a plan for this emer-
"The government of Puerto scene from afar was fel- Eligio Hernández, Puerto to homeschool their chil- gency," he said. "The ex-
Rico has been negligent low kindergarten teacher Rico's education secretary, dren, said Nydia Villan- cuse of not having a build-
from the beginning," she Esther Cordero, who shook did not return messages left ueva, who runs a home ing cannot be used for
said. "They have not been her head as she criticized with a spokesman despite schooling support group much longer."q
quick. They have not been government officials grap- repeated requests for com- called Amanecer Educa-
strategic. They don't have pling with the aftermath ment. On Sunday, he an- tivo. She had an informa-
a plan on how to start the of a quake that killed one nounced that another 103 tional talk scheduled for
semester at this point." person, destroyed or dam- schools were opening this early January on the topic
The situation has led to an aged hundreds of homes week. but was about to cancel
increase in homeschool- and prompted U.S. Presi- "This process has been a it since no one had signed
ing and prompted some dent Donald Trump to ap- responsible, detailed and up. Then the earthquake
teachers like Santiago to prove a major disaster thorough one, since the struck.
voluntarily find an appropri- declaration."They should most important thing for us "My phone was blowing
ate outdoor location and have invested immediately is the health and safety of up," she said. "In a week
resume classes with permis- in trailers," she said. "And if all members of the school and a half, I received more
sion from parents. Santiago not that, tarps at least." communities," he said in a than 240 calls."
began scouting her home- Her colleague, Madeline statement. Among those who called
town of Santa Isabel after Cruz, a 37-year-old mother Engineers have inspected and decided to start home-
19 of 23 parents responded of three children whose hundreds of public schools, schooling her two daugh-
with a range of excited school remains closed, but ongoing strong after- ters is Mónica Ortiz from
emojis when she proposed nodded vigorously. shocks, like the two 5.0 the eastern town of Aguas
the idea last month in a "The Department of Educa- magnitude quakes that Buenas, where very limited