Children vandalise Port Loyola Preschool

Tonight the staff of the Port Loyola Preschool is once again cleaning up the mess left behind by heartless vandals who broke into the educational facility over the weekend. But more disturbing than the number of times that thieves have hit the school is the fact that evidence at the scene suggests small children may be responsible. News Five’s Karla Vernon reports.

Karla Vernon, Reports
This was the sad scene that greeted Indira Baptist, teacher and vice principal at the Port Loyola Pre-School this morning.

Indira Baptist, Vice Principal
?As I opened my class I saw the class ransacked and I know that someone went in the building, because I see everything in chaos on the floor.?

Nothing was stolen, but the damage and vandalism is heartbreaking to the staff. Even worse is their suspicion that the intruder might have been a child or group of children. Of the row of the burglar bars on the veranda surrounding this class room, a single bar was bent backward. Once on the porch, the intruder or intruders broke the window?s glass louvers to gain access to the building.

Indira Baptist
?I think it was someone small because someone big could not have come in that hole that is behind on the burglar bars.?

When we visited the scene today, Principal Gwen Jones pointed out the damaged school decorations and ransacked food and supplies. Based on the evidence, it appears certain that the vandals had also sat down for a considerable amount of time and taped these hoops and sticks together, making some sort of toy.

Gwen Jones, Principal, Port Loyola Preschool
?It tells me that maybe that child did not go to a preschool and had missed out on the fun that these children are having now. So maybe he just feels locked up, jailed, and just wanted time to just play with some real toys.?

Since 2003, the Port Loyola Preschool has been broken into on five occasions. The teachers have actually walked in on young people who were hiding in the building smoking weed, or arrived at work only to find other windows and bars pried open. Anti-police and gang graffiti still mark their playground equipment and walls. The most recent break in occurred two weeks ago, but only crayons and paper were taken.

The constant assaults on the school have left the staff demoralised.

Indira Baptist
?It gives us headache and we can?t do anything, just sit down and wait to see what will happen next.?

Karla Vernon
?The school has a lot of burglar bars, virtually everywhere. You?ve had a number of break-ins before, how does it feel that no matter what you seem to do, things still happen??

Indira Baptist
?It feels discouraging. I don?t know what else to do. I hope that people that are watching the news can go to the police and say if they see anything and try to help us in other ways.?

The students of this school only pay a minimal fee of twenty dollars per month. Teacher salaries are paid by the government and there is simply no money in the institution?s budget to hire a watchman. Principal Jones says she can only ask once more that people in the area to help guard the school.

Gwen Jones
?I would just like to appeal to the community to have a neighbourhood watch on the preschool. All we are trying to do is give the children an early start in their education.?

Reporting for News Five, I am Karla Vernon.

Ninety-nine children attend the Port Loyola Pre-school. There is also a Day Care for toddlers on the compound. As far as arrests for the break-ins, only one man was ever detained, after he was caught selling the school’s linoleum in 2003.