Several parents continued to voice their concerns about the conditions at the Beterverwagting Primary School, with some individuals locking the gate of the school to prevent anyone from entering early Thursday morning.
Pupils and teachers of the school have long been tormented by pigeons whose droppings have contaminated the premises. Some cleaning was done over the weekend, and mesh was installed in some areas to prevent the pigeons from accessing the classrooms.
“As much as work is being done at the school, it is not sufficient. The environment is not conducive to learning or teaching,” President of the school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), Alvin McCurdy, told reporters on Thursday.
McCurdy and other parents called for the school to be closed and thoroughly sanitised.
On Thursday, Regional Councillor Neville Cumberbatch told reporters that much work was done over the weekend. Remedial work included covering exposed areas with protective mesh to prevent the birds from entering the classrooms and cleaning some of the classrooms.
When Cumberbatch took reporters inside the school, mesh was seen covering some of the exposed areas, and some classrooms appeared as though they were recently cleaned. However, several birds were still seen inside some of the classrooms and along the corridors. Additionally, the library remained contaminated with pigeon droppings. There was also no running water at the time of the visit.
In response to these issues, Education Minister Sonia Parag has given instructions for several immediate actions to be taken to improve the conditions at the school.
The News Room understands that before Monday, the school will be power-washed, all plumbing issues will be fixed, any remaining access points that allow pigeons to get inside the buildings will be sealed, and all overgrown vegetation will be removed. While these actions are undertaken, other long-term solutions for the BV Primary School and all other schools affected with similar issues are being explored.
“We are currently working to assess various schools throughout the regions where this may be a problem and looking at a long-term solution for the schools,” Parag told the News Room.
At the Beterverwagting School, parents and teachers hope for a lasting solution.
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