Union seeks talks on possible school relocation

Teachers and pupils at an unnamed school, said to be facing longstanding problems, may need to relocate temporarily while repairs are carried out, the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) said.

BUT representatives declined to name the school, but said the union was concerned about the conditions in which teachers and students were working.

The union wants further discussions with the Ministry of Education on whether to temporarily relocate the school, earmarked for the Skills for the Future programme.

BUT executives raised the issue on Monday at the union’s headquarters, where stewards met with school representatives at the annual general meeting.

“We’re giving them a chance to respond,” said BUT General Secretary Gilbert Carmichael. “We currently have one school, though, that is having a series of issues. The issues they are facing are protracted, and therefore the ministry has started some remediation, but given the volume of issues at said school, it’s gonna take a little while.”

Carmichael said further discussions with the ministry were needed to determine whether temporary relocation would be necessary while the work was carried out.

He said: “The only alternative you can look at is temporary relocation because ultimately, you can’t have persons in an environment that is compromised if the work is going to last for a prolonged period of time.”  

BUT Vice President Julian Pierre, who heads the union’s occupational safety and health work, said the union was engaging with members at the school to get first-hand information on the problems. He said he visited about two weeks ago.

Pierre said that while major infrastructure work was needed, immediate issues affecting the school’s daily operations also had to be addressed.

The union had suggested that the ministry identify suitable locations within school communities in advance to facilitate temporary relocation if environmental problems or emergencies made it necessary, he added.

These could include community centres, pavilions and churches that could accommodate teaching and learning while repairs were undertaken, he said.

“We are hoping that that is forward thinking for the ministry that should these things come up, then it wouldn’t be so hard in terms of finding a location and then the transition to move furniture, etcetera.” 

Pierre also called for greater attention to maintaining government buildings, warning that remediation work would be undermined without a proper maintenance plan and schedule.

“Even as the ministry undertakes the remediation work across schools because they’ve moved from just doing work at summer to doing work throughout the year, all of that work will come to naught if there is not a proper maintenance plan and maintenance schedule.”

He said seemingly minor defects could lead to more serious environmental problems if left unattended, giving the example of a missing windowpane that could allow vermin to enter a school building.

The union also raised concerns about older school buildings, particularly those constructed with soft stone, which Pierre said was more porous and allowed mould to develop more rapidly.

He said changing weather conditions, including high temperatures and alternating periods of rain, were creating further challenges for some buildings.

“We may have some buildings that when you look at them aesthetically they’re pleasing to the eye because of the old architecture, but for the climate in which we are now living, where outside is a lot hotter or you’re having this mixed bag of weather because it rains at 1 o’clock, it’s hot at two o’clock, it rains… so these kinds of things are causing some challenges.”

Despite the concerns, the BUT executives praised the education ministry for its quicker response to maintenance issues and improved communication with the union.

The Education Technical Management Unit (ETMU) has been responding more quickly, with minor issues such as plumbing problems, door replacements and hinge repairs being addressed outside major holiday periods, including after 3pm and at weekends, the BUT said.

During the March Budget, Education Minister Chad Blackman announced an allocation of almost $290m for the government’s education reform agenda.

The allocation covers personnel costs, school maintenance, utilities, classroom resources, student support services, examinations administration and other core functions.

Carmichael described the union’s relationship with the ministry as one of the best it has experienced in a long time, praising ETMU head Wayne Baker for his approach to problem-solving.

“He is phenomenal at what he does. He has actually brought a new way of doing things. I can tell you there are times where principals call on a Thursday evening and report a problem, and by Friday morning things are on course to being rectified.”

The union leaders also commended the Ministry of Health for increased monitoring of environmental health concerns at schools over the past 12 to 18 months.

Pierre said the union had observed more routine checks by the Vector Control Unit and health inspectors from various polyclinics, including inspections of bathing stations and checks for stagnant water.

“It is more a proactive approach rather than us having to call for them to come,” he said.

(LG)