MORE DISRUPTIONS

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AFFECT SCHOOLS YET ANOTHER DAY

By Sheria Brathwaite

Classes at two schools were disrupted on Wednesday, the second straight day for one of them, as environmental issues continue to impact schools across the island.
The Grantley Adams Memorial Secondary School in Blackman’s St Joseph closed early after teachers and students complained about cow itch.
First vice-president of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) and chairman of the union’s occupational health and safety committee Julian Pierre explained that canes were being harvested in a nearby field and particles of the irritant blew in the school’s direction.
He said the plantation manager had agreed to finish cutting the canes in that area during the weekend.
Classes at Grantley will ensue as usual tomorrow.
Over at St Stephen’s Nursery School in Black Rock, St Michael, classes came to a premature end because of a foul odour affecting the school.
President of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) André Lashley said parents wanted the Ministry of Education to seriously look into the matter, especially as it was the second consecutive day they had been asked to collect their wards from school.
“The ministry is not taking the stance that we want right now and we parents don’t know what to do – if to bring the children to school or take them home. Neighbours are keeping livestock and the smell is coming across the school and it is horrible. It is not healthy for the children or the teachers to be around. Most of the students went home, some were vomiting and it was really horrible. We would like something done about it,” he said.
“We want to know what the ministry is going to do – if they are going to pause the school until the issue is dealt with and not let parents come back and forth every morning.”
Lashley explained that while the ministry did not officially close the school, as was done on Tuesday, parents were given the option of taking their children home.
When a Barbados TODAY team visited the institution, the pungent odour still lingered.
Members of the BUT’s executive were also at the school and Pierre told the media that it was imperative that the union investigate the source of the odour.
He said the BUT was also concerned that the scent was especially strong in the area where school meals were served and flies were swarming the area.
Pierre also took the opportunity to meet with members of the PTA and he agreed that the situation warranted intervention by the ministry.
Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw said the ministry was on top of the situation.
She said environmental health officers had been sent to the location and they had reported “no odour or low odour”, adding that representatives from the ministry were also at the campus engaging union delegates, teachers and other staff members.
She said contact was made with the owner of a nearby chicken coop and the ministry was informed that the birds will be slaughtered on Friday.
“I want to make it clear that the Ministry of Education has been actively seeking to resolve matters affecting teachers, [other] members of staff and students wherever matters are brought to our attention. We recognise that some of the matters are outside the purview of the ministry; nevertheless, we have consistently sought assistance from external ministries’ agencies and individuals where necessary,” Archer-Bradshaw said.
Meanwhile, during a visit to the nearby St Stephen’s Primary School, Pierre reported that the construction of a new Barbados Water Authority (BWA) pumping station adjacent to the property was affecting classes.
He said the noise from the heavy-duty equipment and the tanks were nuisances and thick white dust was blanketing windows, desks and electronics used in some classrooms.
In a release issued on Tuesday night, the BWA said the concerns were brought to its attention and officials met with representatives from the Ministry of Education as well as the principal of the school earlier in the day.
The statement said the parties discussed and agreed to certain measures to mitigate the problem, adding that the BWA had established an open channel of communication with the school given its proximity to the station.
Archer-Bradshaw said a similar complaint was made by teachers at the Frederick Smith Secondary School in Trents, St James and ministry officials were also engaged in dialogue with representatives from the BWA on that matter.
sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb