Torres discusses concerns regarding Burlington County Institute of Technology in Medford.
My son attends Burlington County Institute of Technology in Medford and this year he is a junior. He is part of the cooking program. With that said, the school has failed them, the superintendent has failed them, the board of education has failed them and school administration has failed them. Since March they started renovations on the cooking area for the kids, state-of-the-art renovations. Meaning March, April, May and June, that’s four months last year, the students went without hands-on cooking. Three months of the summer, construction should have going on for this state-of-the-art kitchen.
September rolled around and students returned to school and the kitchen was not ready. My son being a junior and all other classes returning are sophomores and seniors. There was nothing ready for the students. The chefs had two empty classrooms. Nothing was provided as far materials. They were not provided anything to assist students in furthering the curriculum for the incoming year. No kitchen, no hands-on training, no books, no computers — nothing.
Our students have been sitting in classrooms doing nothing in September and October. What state-of-the-art kitchen?
My son chose to go to a technical school so that he could receive hands-on training and he has not received that since last March. That is not fair to any student let alone mine. So the “fix” was to take the students on more field trips, which pulls the students out of their regular classes. My son is in geometry and chemistry and has missed several classes due to going on the field trips, which show other kitchens.
They have visited Rowan College at Burlington County twice during field trips and used their kitchen, but is that enough? This is uncalled for and unfair. He is behind in geometry and chemistry and all staff members are frustrated at the students.
I need help making the superintendent and the rest of the board of education aware of their neglect towards the BCIT students.
How dare they hurt the students this way? My son and all the students in that program need help to catch up. This is unfair treatment!
Miriam Torres
