Roadworks dust, odour force St John’s Primary to close

Classes were aborted Monday at the St John’s Primary School as a result of bothersome dust and a pungent odour from ongoing road works in nearby Pot House.

The school’s principal declined to speak to Barbados TODAY, but parents confirmed that they were asked to collect their charges around 9:30 a.m.

“I was told by one of the workers, school had to be closed because of the paving of asphalt,” one parent told our news team.

Another said: “This work should have been done on the weekend so the children won’t be disappointed.”

Students and staff have been severely affected by the dust combined with lingering ash for some time due to the roadworks, a source told Barbados TODAY.

“So this has been going on for a while,” said the source. “We also started to get a very strong smell like kerosene. and a lot of students and staff were complaining about the smell.”

Second Vice President of the Barbados Union of Teachers Rudy Lovell confirmed that the union had received reports from its members about the situation. He expressed hope that the problem would soon be rectified.

Minister of Transport and Works Charles Griffith, the area MP, told Barbados TODAY Monday evening he would discuss the issue with the contractor to address the issue.

The roadworks began at the end of 2019 following residents’ complaints about the partially collapsed road in the rural community.

This prompted Prime Minister Mia Mottley, several cabinet colleagues and senior civil servants to assess the area and take action.

One resident expressed concern that the project which was scheduled to be completed around March 2020  is still unfinished

He fears that any heavy rains this hurricane season will set back the work and cause further issues for residents.

“So I would like the Government to get it fixed before the rain comes in because if the rain comes in, it is going to be very, very stressful for people living [downhill],” he said. (SD)