Parents, teachers contented as St John’s Primary classes resume at new location

By Sheria Brathwaite

Teachers and parents of students at St John’s Primary School expressed satisfaction as classes resumed on Monday at a church just over two miles away from the problem-plagued school.

The move came after teachers, refusing entry into mould-infested classrooms on November 24 and 27, led a demonstration alongside parents last Tuesday. This prompted the Ministry of Education to close the school temporarily, resorting to online classes for the remainder of the week before deciding that classes would be held at the Messiah Wesleyan Holiness Church in Massiah Street, St John for the remainder of the term.

From as early as 8 a.m., parents assembled at St John’s Primary where shuttle services transported students and staff to the church under the supervision of the school principal and an education officer.

President of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) Rudy Lovell confirmed the union’s support for the arrangement and readiness to address any concerns that may arise.

“Everything seems to be okay at this point in time,” he told Barbados TODAY. “If anything should arise, we will consult with the Ministry of Education in an effort to resolve it.”

The school’s parent-teacher association, led by Nicole Gill-Wilson, also welcomed the move. Gill-Wilson noted transportation, meals, and cleaning protocols were addressed by the ministry.

“It feels good to know that the children will be able to carry on with the rest of this semester with face-to-face teaching; so we feel good generally about the relocation,” she said.

However, she reported some furniture was missing from areas assigned as classrooms and expressed hope for partitions to minimise distractions.

“We were also informed that general cleaning would have been done prior to the commencement of classes this morning and that the children would be able to receive school meals as is the norm,” she added. “However,… based on reports from the teachers, not all of the furniture was brought over. So some teachers did not have their board or their desk and whatever else they would have needed to conduct the classes successfully.”

In a statement issued later in the day, the Ministry of Education said the day’s proceedings went smoothly.

“The school settled into their new location without incident. The transportation that was provided worked well, both in the morning and the evening, even as some parents opted to drop their children and wards directly to the new location,” it said.

“The BUT also visited, and the ministry received no adverse reports. All furniture and equipment were in place, school meals were delivered on time, and all students were served.”

The ministry added that 77 students and 12 teachers were present and those who were absent were on certified sick leave. 

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb