The closure of the Deacons Primary School this morning, due to allegation of rat droppings being found on the compound, is deeply troubling and a major cause for concern, says Senator Ryan Walters.
The Democratic Labour Party candidate for the St Michael North West said that over the past few days “several parents reached out to me, expressing their frustration and alarm at the situation”.
Parents have been collecting their children this morning after being notified that the school was being closed for environmental reasons.
“They are rightly worried about the health and safety of their children and the staff. This is not a new issue. Concerns about the cleanliness of the school’s surroundings and the general state of the environment have been raised repeatedly, yet nothing meaningful has been done.
“The sitting Member of Parliament has publicly described the situation as ‘a work in progress’ but after seven years of inaction, we are now at a point where a primary school has had to close its doors. Innocent students must now pay the price. They are at risk of serious health issues and losing critical learning time,” he said, attributing it to the negligence of the sitting Member Parliament.
The situation is unacceptable, said Walters, who also added that he hoped no child or staff member falls ill as a result of the neglect.
“Rat droppings and rodent infestations pose serious health risks and must be treated with urgency, not indifference. Unfortunately, this is part of a broader pattern of neglect in the Deacons community. The community resource centre has been closed for seven years, cutting off residents from skills training and community programmes,” he said, claiming that that poorly maintained area appeared to be impacting the schoolyard.
“The removal of the Housing Depot, which once served residents of Deacons Farm, Ferniehurst, and Rosemont, has left people with no local access to essential materials or staff to help maintain their rental units,” Walters said. (AC)
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