The head of St Bartholomew Primary School has developed a contingency plan to address potential environmental problems stemming from the nearby Grantley Adams International Airport’s incinerator, which caused multiple closures last year.
Principal Anthea Gill told Barbados TODAY on Monday that while airport management was doing its utmost to prevent disruptions, the school had devised strategies should issues arise.
“We have a plan in place to deal with the incinerator,” Gill said. “To tell the truth, my hope is that it is not an issue, that every day is like today and we don’t get the wind blowing the smoke over the school.”
The Christ Church school faced several closures during the last academic year due to billowing smoke from the airport incinerator. The Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) raised concerns about members experiencing breathing difficulties and developing respiratory issues due to smoke inhalation.
Gill outlined various measures the school could implement if necessary: “We have plans in place for relocation or just to wait it out; sometimes it just takes a few minutes. For some reason, it doesn’t seem to bother the children much when they are on the [nearby pasture]. Or if necessary, we can move even further away from the school or the blocks that are affected can wait upstairs in the labs until it passes as it doesn’t always affect the entire school.”
Dwane Goddard, the BUT’s shop steward for the school, revealed that a task force had been established to address the issue. The group comprises school management, senior airport staff, and representatives from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Environment.
Goddard added that the task force had been meeting regularly and had installed a sensor at the school to monitor air quality in case of emergencies.
