The Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training (METVT), will host a virtual meeting with parents, guardians and teachers of the Lawrence T. Gay Memorial Primary School to address outstanding concerns.
The meeting will be held on Friday, November 27, at 5 p.m., and a link will be sent prior to the meeting. A walk-through will be held for the Parent Teacher Association and the Barbados Union of Teachers the following day.
Minister of Education, Santia Bradshaw, made this announcement today, while also indicating that face-to-face classes are expected to resume on Tuesday, December 1.
Earlier today, parents and guardians protested outside of the school over environmental concerns. Students and teachers complained of being affected by the smell of gas, oil and sewage at different times during the day.
READ: LT Gay parents want answers
Acknowledging the situation has been ongoing for a while, Bradshaw said the authorities were working “tirelessly” to resolve the environmental issues “for once and for all”.
In a statement today, the Minister said: “As of today, all of the investigative tests have been completed. However, we have had to excavate a few areas at the front of the school where some of the septic tanks are located, but which had been covered by soil.
“In the interest of ensuring that all of the remedial action is completed and the premises are restored to their original condition, the Ministry will resume face-to-face classes at the Lawrence T. Gay Memorial School on Tuesday, December 1.”
During the recent closures, several air quality tests and investigations of both the school’s premises and the nearby community were conducted by the Environmental Health Department of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, to pinpoint the source of the foul odours.
The Education Minister said recommendations outlined in a report were acted upon by the Ministry. (BGIS)
