The village of Patna adopted its name after a village in India. Its original name was “Coolie Block”. There were only ten houses built in the village at that time and they were owned by people of East Indian descent.
This was during the period when Sugarcane was “King” or the main crop, not only in the Diego Martin Valley but throughout Trinidad. In Diego Martin there were five sugar estates, the most notable being the one at River Estate where the Waterwheel and Offices were located. This Estate was owned by Mr. Begorrat; a Frenchman who it is said, lived in a cave on the Covigne Hill and used negro slaves instead of oxen to pull the carts with sugar-cane.
After Mr. Begorrat’s death and sugar-cane was no longer “King”, the British Government took over River Estate and converted it into an Experimental Station as an extension of the then Imperial College of Agriculture, St. Augustine, for the propagation of Cocoa and Coffee. This Experimental Station was officially opened by Princess Grace.
Ten Grenadian families, who worked on the estate as labourers, augmented their incomes by raising pigs and fishing in the sea at North Post moved into the village of Patna. At that time there was one main road paved with gravel, the North Post Road, which snaked its way up to the Signal Station, which was used to track ships and sub-marines, first by flags, then followed by the telephone and radio which provided the only Radio Station at the time. The site and facilities are now handled by T.S.T.T.
In 1961 when the Diamond Vale Residential area was being developed the occupants of the then Diamond Village were compensated and relocated to Patna Village. This caused an increase in the number of houses to about one hundred and twenty (120).
To the north of the school plant was an old wooden community building which was used as a Private Pre-school. This was broken down in 1961 and was replaced by a slightly larger wooden building in 1980 and continued to be used as the Community Centre for both residents of Patna Village and River Estate Housing Scheme which was developed in 1968. That building has now given way to a new, spacious, concrete structure but continues to serve as the Community Centre.
This school, Patna/River Estate Government Primary School was originally earmarked to be built on a plot of land, owned by Mr. Ragoonath Ramdeensingh at the end Fuller Street. But when three Government Officers visited the site they found that the proposition was going to be very costly since the relocated persons from Diamond Vale had built houses on the land. This meant that these persons would have to be compensated and relocated again.
The school in its present location is now a reality because of the chance meeting between the Officers and Mr. Mahabir Ramdeensingh, who suggested the use of this site for the following reasons:
1. The land was almost cleared by tractor when the site for the Community Centre was being prepared. Only a few immortelle trees needed to be felled.
2. The savannah is directly opposite the site affording easy access to it.
3. The Site was strategically placed to accommodate the catchment areas of North Post, Patna Village, River Estate, Blue Basin, Waterwheel, St. Lucien Road and Bagatelle.
The school plant building project started in 1995 and was completed in July 1997. The school started on Tuesday, September 02, 1997 with an enrollment of four hundred and fifty nine (459) pupils and a teaching staff of twenty three (23). There were four (4) female janitors on duty. However it was formally opened on the morning of Wednesday, October 15, 1997 by Dr. Adesh Nanan, Minister of Education who deputised for the Prime Minister, Mr. Basdeo Panday in unveiling the commemorative plaque for the occasion.
This was during the period when Sugarcane was “King” or the main crop, not only in the Diego Martin Valley but throughout Trinidad. In Diego Martin there were five sugar estates, the most notable being the one at River Estate where the Waterwheel and Offices were located. This Estate was owned by Mr. Begorrat; a Frenchman who it is said, lived in a cave on the Covigne Hill and used negro slaves instead of oxen to pull the carts with sugar-cane.
After Mr. Begorrat’s death and sugar-cane was no longer “King”, the British Government took over River Estate and converted it into an Experimental Station as an extension of the then Imperial College of Agriculture, St. Augustine, for the propagation of Cocoa and Coffee. This Experimental Station was officially opened by Princess Grace.
Ten Grenadian families, who worked on the estate as labourers, augmented their incomes by raising pigs and fishing in the sea at North Post moved into the village of Patna. At that time there was one main road paved with gravel, the North Post Road, which snaked its way up to the Signal Station, which was used to track ships and sub-marines, first by flags, then followed by the telephone and radio which provided the only Radio Station at the time. The site and facilities are now handled by T.S.T.T.
In 1961 when the Diamond Vale Residential area was being developed the occupants of the then Diamond Village were compensated and relocated to Patna Village. This caused an increase in the number of houses to about one hundred and twenty (120).
To the north of the school plant was an old wooden community building which was used as a Private Pre-school. This was broken down in 1961 and was replaced by a slightly larger wooden building in 1980 and continued to be used as the Community Centre for both residents of Patna Village and River Estate Housing Scheme which was developed in 1968. That building has now given way to a new, spacious, concrete structure but continues to serve as the Community Centre.
This school, Patna/River Estate Government Primary School was originally earmarked to be built on a plot of land, owned by Mr. Ragoonath Ramdeensingh at the end Fuller Street. But when three Government Officers visited the site they found that the proposition was going to be very costly since the relocated persons from Diamond Vale had built houses on the land. This meant that these persons would have to be compensated and relocated again.
The school in its present location is now a reality because of the chance meeting between the Officers and Mr. Mahabir Ramdeensingh, who suggested the use of this site for the following reasons:
1. The land was almost cleared by tractor when the site for the Community Centre was being prepared. Only a few immortelle trees needed to be felled.
2. The savannah is directly opposite the site affording easy access to it.
3. The Site was strategically placed to accommodate the catchment areas of North Post, Patna Village, River Estate, Blue Basin, Waterwheel, St. Lucien Road and Bagatelle.
The school plant building project started in 1995 and was completed in July 1997. The school started on Tuesday, September 02, 1997 with an enrollment of four hundred and fifty nine (459) pupils and a teaching staff of twenty three (23). There were four (4) female janitors on duty. However it was formally opened on the morning of Wednesday, October 15, 1997 by Dr. Adesh Nanan, Minister of Education who deputised for the Prime Minister, Mr. Basdeo Panday in unveiling the commemorative plaque for the occasion.