Govt to release comprehensive report on school closures

A thorough analysis of the persistent environmental, health, and security issues affecting public schools across the nation is nearing completion, Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw said on Monday.

Ongoing school closures have disrupted learning at several schools this term, including Parkinson Memorial, Wesley Hall, St George Secondary, and Lester Vaughan schools.

Speaking at the opening of the Ministry of Education’s Arts In Focus exhibition, Archer-Bradshaw confirmed that work is being done to produce a comprehensive report on the state of the nation’s educational infrastructure.

“The Ministry of Education continues to assess the situations [at] the schools and a comprehensive report will be forthcoming relative to the state of our schools in Barbados. [The report] will be here pretty soon; I know that the [permanent secretary] and the communications specialist, along with the education management unit will be working on that,” she said.

The chief education officer acknowledged the need for regular maintenance at some schools but stressed that many of the reported issues stem from external factors.

“We must understand that schools are located within communities, so from time to time they can be impacted by activity within the community,” she explained, citing incidents such as overflowing wells as examples.

However, she assured the public that the Ministry acts swiftly whenever such problems arise to ensure minimal disruption to the teaching and learning process.

Security concerns are also being addressed, with Dr Archer-Bradshaw noting that this will be a key area of focus for education officials moving forward.

Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) President, Rudy Lovell, welcomed the reopening of Parkinson Memorial Secondary School following last week’s bedbug infestation but urged the Ministry of Education to provide clarity on how the forthcoming report will be utilised.

He said: “I am hoping that what was said is actually what was meant to be said. If a report is being compiled, I want to know what is being done after the compilation of the report. If the report shows that there are significant deficiencies in the building structure of the school system, what will the ministry do to rectify these deficiencies?”

Lovell also expressed hope that the report would include plans to bolster security at schools, where inadequate security measures remain a concern.