Queen’s College Board Chairman will be paid for work on new wing, as Manickchand dismisses conflict of interest claim

Last Updated on Thursday, 16 January 2025, 20:57 by Writer

Education Minister Priya Manickchand on Tuesday discarded claims that the Chairman of Queen’s College (QC) Board of Governors, Civil Engineer Marcel Gaskin was in a conflict of interest because he designed the new west wing and would supervise its construction.

“I don’t understand what’s the conflict. First of all, the man is the Chairman of the Board. This is what he does for a living. He is an old student. Who can you get more invested in a project like this than him?,” she told Demerara Waves Online News.

Amid the concerns, Ms Manickchand on Tuesday said she decided that Mr Gaskin would be paid for the design and that there would be a two-week advertisement for a supervisory engineer for the project.

The Education Minister praised Mr Gaskin for first of all telling her orally about the “serious structural defects” of QC’s west wing and later documenting his assessment in a report, informing her of the risk of the building collapsing.

She also denied that her husband, Civil Engineer Lieutenant Colonel Bhageshwar Murli, was also mired in a conflict of interest. Ms Manickchand said her husband informed her that he was taken to the QC Board of Governors to explain the structural problems and possibly assist with Health and Safety training. The minister said her husband informed the Board that he would not have the time to conduct the training.

Just before saying that the supervisory engineering services would now be advertised, Ms Manickchand said Mr Gaskin would have been paid for the project supervision. “He did the drawings. I’m not going to ask him to do the supervision for free. Supervision requires him using staff and real measurements because we don’t pay unless consultants say how much projects cost,” she said.

Teaching-learning during works

The Education Minister sought to assure parents and students that every effort was being made to ensure that the children do not lose much contact hours with their teachers.

She said all of the teachers have devices to teach students virtually but not all of the students were similarly equipped. “They don’t need devices for 14 months,” she said.

Currently, Forms 1 and 2 students, who were taught in the west wing, were at home while that section of the building was being “emptied and demolished.” They are expected to be at home for two or three weeks depending on when makeshift classrooms are established.

Ms Manickchand further explained that Forms 4 and 5 students would remain at home while foundation piles are being driven between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. or 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.

Meanwhile, QC Board of Governors member, Attorney-at-Law Dawn Cush resigned from that decision-making body after 30 years of service 0ver changed arrangements for the students to attend QC. “I am disappointed with what I perceive as a plan to disrupt the student population with very little notice to all concerned. I was just advised that the plan was changed again,” she said. Ms Cush also remarked in her letter of resignation that “QC was plunged into uncertainty with the Chairman of the Board’s involvement in the project causing some discomfort to some while others see nothing wrong,” she said. No details were provided.