ARIMA WEST GOVERNMENT PRIMARY SCHOOL

WELCOME,

(Information taken from "Revised Green Paper on: Standards and Guidelines for the Operation of all Schools)

 

Arima West Government Primary School embraces the policies of the Ministry of Education with reference to student admissions and is committed to equality of treatment of all citizens regardless of ethnicity, religion, class or disability. Arima West Government believes that inclusion is an unavoidable imperative of every truly democratic society.

 

1. General Principles

 

All activities pertaining to student admission and registration are circumscribed by the following:

 

1. The Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago

2. The Education Act

3. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

 

As such, the Ministry of education affirms that no student is to be denied admission to a school on the basis of race, colour, gender, language, physical ability, religion or creed, national or social origin, property, birth, academic potential (or lack thereof) or other consideration.

 

All students seeking admission to schools must meet the national legal requirements for entering school. The Ministry of Education subscribes to Article 14:3 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which stipulates that ... Freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs shall therefore be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health or morals, or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.

 

The term "school" includes all government, government assisted and private primary, secondary and special schools.

 

1.1 Admission and Registration (Public Primary Schools)

 

1. A student who meets the following criteria may be admitted to a public primary school:

   a) Resides within 3 km of the school;

    b) Has attained the primary entrance age of 5 years or will attain his/her 5th birthday during the term of admission (may be admitted on the first day of the relevant term)

 

2. In allocating spaces to students, principals must give priority to children residing within a 3-km radius of the school. No student residing within the catchment area should be refused entry to the school as long as places are available. 

 

3. Principals shall not exceed the built capacity of their schools, as this might seriously jeopadize the quality of education that is delivered. Where requests for admission significantly exceed the built capacity of the school, the principal shall immediately inform the Division of School Supervision af the situation and await a response.

 

4. Principals of primary schools shall inform the public of the deadline date for application for consideration among the new intake of first year pupils via a notice that is easily accessible to the public.

 

5. Parents/guardians shall complete an application form by the day indicated.

 

6. Parents/guardians are expected to provide information on the child's general health and special needs at the time of submission of their application.

 

7. Should the principal hold an interview as part of the selection process, the child shall be accompanied by the parent/guardian on the day of the interview. The parent/guardian and child may be interviewed separately at the discretion of the principal.

 

8. Principals of public primary schools shall contact parents/guardians in writing to inform them of the outcome of the interview, and if the child has been accepted, may provide parents/guardians with information regarding booklists, schools rules and uniform at the time.

 

9. After the completion of the application process, and upon acceptance at the school, students must complete the registration process.

 

10. At the time of registration the following information must be provided.

 

• Name of Student

• Date of Birth

• Name of Parent/Guardian

• Contact Number

• E-mail Address (if applicable)

• Race

• Religion

• Nationality

• Language/s spoken

 

11. The following documents shall also be provided:

 

• Two recent passport-size photographs

• Original Birth Certificate

• Immunuization Card

 

12. Principals shall complete the registration process by holding an orientation session for parents/guardians of new pupils.

 

13. Principals shall remind parents/guardians of the school rules and regulations during the orientation session.

 

14. Principals shall use the same means of informing parents/guardians of the date of the orientation session as that used as (1) above.

 

15 The principal or his/her delegate shall make the initial entry on the cumulative record card of each registered child.