The Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) called for urgent written protocols on how schools store and dispose of old materials after rat bite marks were discovered on records at Deacons Primary School last week, prompting a full inspection and cleanup.
BUT Vice President Julian Pierre, who oversees the union’s occupational safety and health issues, joined officials from the Ministry of Educational Transformation’s Education Technical Management Unit (ETMU), the Ministry of Health, representatives of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), and staff members for a full inspection of the school on Monday.
“We are aware the most concerning issue was that of the rodents,” said Pierre, explaining that the union insisted on carrying out a complete tour “to make sure that all issues were captured and put on the radar of the ETMU to ensure that work is done periodically to make sure that the school is a safe and healthy working environment.”
Many of the problems appeared to stem from years of clutter and obsolete materials stored on the compound, he suggested.
“From what we saw on Friday, there has to be some clear indication from the ministry, one, how long do we keep school records? Because from those things, those things are in there more than ten years,” he said. “Obviously, with broken furniture and other equipment which is obsolete, what happens with it?”
Pierre said principals should not be left to make such decisions on their own and asked for formal communication authorising them to dispose of outdated materials. “But we at BUT are asking for something in writing to the principals to say it is OK for you to discard of any old furniture, any obsolete equipment, and also give a timeline in terms of how long you keep the records before you discard them.”
He then recalled that some of the records found in the affected storage cupboard had been there for over a decade.
“When [the cupboard was opened] it was realised that . . . there was a smell, so they knew what to pay attention to,” he said. “He put on his gloves and then took out the items but realised that they were bitten.”
The union also wants standard procedures for dealing with rodent sightings on school premises.
“Send out something to the principals as to what the procedure is on sighting of rodents,” he said, adding that in some cases, janitors have been told to clean up droppings before health officials arrive.
“At the end of the day, you are compromising or potentially compromising the health of those on the plant,” he warned, explaining that inspectors often use UV lights to trace the rodents’ paths and identify points of entry.
Following the inspection, Pierre said the union was pleased with the work carried out over the weekend, which included industrial cleaning and maintenance of key areas. “Yes, considerable work has been done in short order, and we are hopeful this helps to ensure we don’t have this issue reoccurring.”
Remedial work began after reports of rodent activity prompted a temporary closure of the school. This involved sealing entry points, replacing windows and doors, and cleaning out affected rooms.
The goal was to make the school safe for reopening while longer-term upgrades continue, according to the ministry’s communications consultant, Gaynelle Marshall. “A considerable amount was done over the weekend to bring it up to the level where your children could return to school safely while other issues continue to be met and rectified throughout the weekends that will come and into the Christmas break if need be,” she said.
Technical Officer Jermaine Springer explained that the ETMU worked with environmental health officials to locate and block potential access points.
“We did remediation works to all external doors, putting new seals on,” he said. “We took out the partition walls as well, took out the old timber windows and contained them temporarily with PVC shutters to give a better seal.”
He added that wire mesh was installed around the prefab structure, and large quantities of debris and old equipment were removed from the IT room.
“Work is ongoing,” he said, noting that environmental health officials are expected to carry out debushing around the school’s perimeter.
The Principal of Deacons Primary, Sylvia Atherley, expressed satisfaction with the repairs and the ministry’s quick response.
“I’m quite pleased with the work that has been done so far over the weekends before, to eliminate the problems we have,” she said. “We put the health and safety of the people, the staff, at the forefront, and we will do everything to minimise any further interruption or disruption to school.”
Area MP Neil Rowe also commended the teams involved, saying he had personally observed the maintenance work over the weekend.
“I am pleased to see there has been an improvement in relation to the bathrooms that the boys and girls utilise,” he said. “There have been improvements in relation to the windows that needed changing, the plumbing work has been improved as well.”
While all parties acknowledged more work remains to be done, there was consensus that the immediate health and safety concerns have been addressed and classes have resumed.
Pierre said the union will continue to monitor conditions. “So from BUT’s standpoint, as representatives of the teaching staff, we are happy with what we have seen so far and we will continue to monitor.”
laurynescamilla@barbadostoday.bb
The post BUT pushes for clear school guidance after Deacons Primary’s rodent infestation appeared first on Barbados Today.
