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Classes at St Benedict’s College, La Romaine are currently being conducted online following the October 1 midday fire which prompted a full evacuation of students and staff.
The fire broke out around 12.20 p.m. in the storage room of the school’s auditorium, which was quickly contained by officers from the Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service (TTFS) Southern Division. No injuries, casualties, or major structural damage were reported.
Videos circulated online raising speculation that the fire may have been deliberately set. School officials say they are awaiting the official cause from fire authorities.
Contacted for a brief update on Tuesday, Principal Gregory Quan Kep told The Catholic News that classes were being conducted online, and he was awaiting “the fire report” and final approvals from the Ministry of Education to resume in-person classes.
The October 1 incident sparked concern about student behaviour, as one brief video circulating on social media showed students running toward the fire, recording it with their phones rather than evacuating. The behaviour drew strong reaction from Catholic education officials.
“I am very concerned that some of the students, instead of running away from the fire, were running towards it to record it when it started,” said Fr David Khan, Vicar for Education and Chief Executive Officer of the Catholic Education Board of Management (CEBM) in a WhatsApp voice message.
“However, I must say I’m very proud that the protocol concerning fire and safety in the school was applied as stipulated. Everything went well. The teachers supervised the evacuation and got the boys to the muster point so the roll call could take place,” he said.
Students were evacuated to the nearby St Benedict’s RC churchyard, the school’s designated muster point, where they were accounted for and later addressed by Quan Kep.
Some parents expressed concern that they were not contacted directly by the school, but learned about the fire through social media posts. Fr Khan explained that while the school followed proper emergency procedures, student-generated content reached the public before official communication could be issued.
“I know some parents were concerned that the school did not call them when this happened,” he said. “The school was following the safety procedure, which is to ensure that all persons—staff, students, ancillary staff, and visitors—are assembled at the muster point. The roll call is done to ensure everyone is present and accounted for. But during that time, boys being boys, …started to send via social media.”
Fr Khan also expressed gratitude for the outcome that there was no injury to any person. He congratulated the fire officers “for a wonderful job in containing the fire.”
