Ministry investigating pungent odor affecting Cuthbert Moore Primary

All was well on Friday at one primary school in the city which had been affected by dust from a nearby demolition site, while the Ministry of Education was trying to find out what was responsible for a pungent odor that resulted in classes being suspended at a rural school.

The ministry said investigations were underway to uncover the location and source of the smell that had been negatively impacting students and staff at the Cuthbert Moore Primary School.

The St Helen’s, St George school remained closed on Friday. Students in Class 4 preparing for next Tuesday’s Barbados Secondary School Entrance Examination continued their preparations online, the ministry said, adding that it is expected that school will reopen next week for regular classes.

“The Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training regrets any inconvenience caused as we look to begin a swift resolution to the issue in the interest of students, teachers and staff,” it said.

But over at St Ambrose Primary in Bridgetown, teachers, students and staff turned up to find that the school had been deepcleaned to get rid of the dust from nearby construction work.

Dust screens have also been erected at the work site, preventing further dust and dirt from blowing onto the compound and negatively impacting the school’s occupants, the ministry said.

“After an inspection of the work conducted, members of staff remarked that they were very thankful for the result and felt that the Ministry of Education was taking their concerns seriously. Equally, the ministry thanks the teachers and staff for their patience, and for allowing the process to take place in the interest of their health and safety,” it said in a statement.

“The Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training is very pleased with the cooperation of the other stakeholders, namely the Barbados Tourism Investment Inc., the Environmental Protection Department, and the contracted cleaning company who all worked quickly and efficiently to bring St. Ambrose to a state that is clean, healthy and fit for teaching and learning.”

(BT)