Success Laventille school officials: Rats under control

Principal of Success Laventille Secondary School Hamida Baksh yesterday sought to assure parents, students and staff that a rat infestation on the school compound was under control.

Newsday visited the school yesterday as work was underway by custodial staff to seal holes and crevices in class rooms and corridors where the rats were thought to have been living.

Baksh explained that the situation had been exaggerated by students and said that members of the San Juan/ Laventille Regional Corporation had already begun work clearing garbage bins which might have attracted the rodents. He insisted the safety of staff and students continued to be the school’s top priority.

However, Newsday also understands that staff members have complained over the conditions of washrooms for students and claimed that, of the 14 stalls in the female washroom, seven were without doors.

Yesterday, the school hosted the launch of its first Parent Teacher Association (PTA) in four years as part of efforts to bring parents into a more inclusive role in the school’s operations. Head of the PTA’s Success chapter Anthony Eastman expressed optimism that the newly formed association would yield long-lasting results in their children’s education and praised parents for their continued commitment to their children’s future.