Concerns are being raised over the condition of classroom furniture at Malabar Secondary School after footage showed students’ desks and chairs in varying states of deterioration just days before the reopening of school.
Video footage from inside a classroom shows several desks with badly worn and peeling surfaces, along with chairs and other pieces of furniture that appear aged and damaged.
Some desktops have lost large portions of their surface coating, exposing the material beneath, while several pieces of furniture show signs of extensive wear.
The person recording the video expresses frustration over the state of the classroom and appears to question how students are expected to return to the environment when school resumes on Monday.
Although portions of the recording are difficult to understand, the accompanying transcript captures references to “the school,” “the class” and students returning to school on Monday.
The footage has sparked questions about preparations at Malabar Secondary ahead of the new academic term and whether the affected furniture will be repaired or replaced before students occupy the classroom.
The condition shown also raises broader concerns about the maintenance of school infrastructure and the learning environment being provided to students.
While cosmetic deterioration alone does not establish that the furniture is structurally unsafe, several desks and chairs shown in the footage are visibly in poor condition.
It is not immediately clear how many classrooms at Malabar Secondary are affected or whether the video represents conditions throughout the school or within a single classroom.
There is also no information accompanying the footage establishing how long the furniture has been in this condition, whether replacement furniture has already been requested, or whether remedial work is scheduled before classes resume.
The situation comes as schools across Trinidad and Tobago prepare to welcome students back for the new academic year, placing renewed attention on the readiness of school facilities.
Parents and students will now be looking for clarity on whether the classroom shown will be used when school reopens and what steps, if any, are being taken to address the condition of the furniture.
At the time of publication, no official response from the Ministry of Education or the administration of Malabar Secondary School was included with the material provided.
TG News will update this story should further information or an official response become available.
