Fed up with long-standing environmental issues plaguing the school, parents of St Mark’s Primary School have made a decision to keep their children out of the Blades Hill, St Philip School today.
The action, which had been planned since last week, will go on despite efforts by the Ministry of Education to clean up the school on Tuesday.
Parents have been complaining for some time about the poor conditions which they said students had been forced to endure.
Three days before the planned demonstration, workers disembarked from a truck carrying lawn mowers and weed whackers and removed several bags of garbage which had been piling up around the school.
Some parents took to social media site Facebook to vent and air their frustrations over the ministry’s refusal to carry out a proper industrial cleaning of the school.
Posting pictures of some of the garbage piled up around the school’s premises, including discarded televisions, desks, chairs and tables, overgrown bush and a broken down fence, one woman urged parents to walk with placards and join the protest action.
Blind spot
“This is my old school St Mark’s Primary in St Philip North. It is a blind spot for the Ministry of Education. Do our children deserve to learn in this environment? Is this not child abuse too?
“We the parents have decided to demonstrate next Friday 27th at 9 a.m. at the school and welcome the support of the surrounding community. Bring your voices and your placards,” she urged.
The irate parent said the latest clean-up effort would not alter their previous plans.
“Well, folks seems the voice of the St Mark’s Primary School community has been heard! Three days before our planned demonstration, a truck has arrived, compliments of the Ministry of Education, to move the mounds of garbage piling up at the school. Lawn mowers and weed whackers also in tow!” she reported.
“After years of beseeching by consecutive principals work is finally being done. Thank you!
Still a lot to be done. Demonstration still on this Friday at 9 am,” she added.
Efforts to contact the school’s management for comment proved unsuccessful. (RB)
