Jensen La Vende
Members of the Malick Secondary Parents/Teachers Association (PTA) yesterday called on the Ministry of Education to address health and safety concerns plaguing the school for the past six months.
Some the problems highlighted yesterday, as both parents and teachers staged a protest, was a rat infestation which forced the closure of the school’s cafeteria, mould, unsecured electrical outlets and falling ceiling tiles.
Teachers Megan Ali said while some teachers have opted to work in the unsafe conditions, the majority of them continued to stay off the job since last week. She pointed out some electrical wiring which was exposed to a puddle of water in the school.
Parents upset by the delay in fixing the issues at the school yesterday marched and chanted outside the school’s Coconut Drive, Morvant compound demanding work be done on the school to bring it up to proper health and safety standards.
PTA vice president Karen Walters said they had a brief meeting with school officials yesterday and were given empty assurances the problems will be addressed. She said a Ministry of Education official, whom she identified only as Ms Griffith, could not give a time frame for when the problems would be addressed.
“Today no teachers in classrooms as they have taken a stance that their safety is at risk, and rightly so, and the environment is not conducive to learning. You cannot come to school when you think things will fall and hit you, as the ceiling is also falling down,” she said.
Walters said parents are now forced to keep their children home, which is not sustainable, noting by law parent cannot leave children under the age of 18 unsupervised and they cannot stay home from work to supervise them.
“When you leave idle hands it becomes the playground for the Devil and his imps. So we are not only looking at this situation here but for the safety of our children, our communities,” Walters said.