St John Primary School will be closed for the remainder of this week, says Deputy Chief Education Officer, Joy Adamson.
This decision was made by the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training in order to protect the health and safety of students and staff from the ongoing environmental issues such as leaking roofs and mould infestation that plague the school.
Classes are still expected to be conducted, in the meantime, as teachers have been encouraged to utilise digital methods on both days.
In an audio statement, Adamson expressed regret over the issues that have disrupted class since last Friday.
“The Ministry’s first priority is to finalise conversations with a potential new location for the rest of the term. We are therefore actively pursuing a new location for Monday December 4th, 2023. While the Ministry has made every effort to counter reported environmental concerns earlier this year, the school continues to be plagued with several structural issues,” Adamson explained.
The Ministry’s Educational Technical Management Unit as well as industrial hygienists and environmentalists paid visits to the school in October and November in order to identify issues so that corrective work could be done.
Adamson continued: “This weekend only, remedial work took place after a list of urgent concerns was shared by the Barbados Union of Teachers such as leaking roofs, moisture in walls and mould. The air quality test and test for mould were conducted yesterday and we are awaiting the results from these tests. Discussions at the Ministry on this issue have been ongoing and since there are still outstanding environmental test results, a final decision on the way forward for this school plan will be when all data have been evaluated.”
Adamson stressed that despite the inconvenience of the physical building being inoperable for the time being, the Ministry wanted to assure all stakeholders that they had the best interests of all students and members of staff at heart and would not compromise the health and education of the children in any way throughout the temporary relocation and cleaning process. (JC)
The pressing need for a new school in the St. John area cannot be overstated, especially considering the school was built over 100 years ago. This reality serves as a powerful testament to the systemic neglect endured by the parish. The call for change goes beyond addressing the immediate environmental concerns at St. John’s Primary School; it is a call to reimagine and reinvigorate the education system in Barbados. Every child deserves access to a clean, safe, and conducive learning environment regardless of geographical location. It is crucial to address the root cause of this issue. The dilapidated state of St. John’s Primary School highlights the urgent need for substantial investment in educational infrastructure. Again, this school was built over 100 years ago. A child’s education quality should not be determined by where they live. The disparity in educational facilities is an injustice that must be rectified to ensure equal opportunities for all. Urgent action is needed now!