Bats, sewer problems keep students home

SEWER problems and bat droppings have led schoolchildren to abandon classes at three schools. A landslip at the back of the Nipal Presbyterian School in Tableland has ruptured sewers, letting raw sewage flow into the compound. The problem was discovered at the beginning of the new term on Monday and by Tuesday, parents decided to keep their children away. Some children reportedly fell ill.

The Presbyterian Primary School Board was notified on Wednesday and arranged for four students writing the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) exam on May 3, to be temporarily accommodated at the nearby Elswick Presbyterian School. An official said the school has approximately 30 students and a staff of seven teachers, including principal Anil Rampersad.

On Wednesday, Minister in the Ministry of Education Dr Lovell Francis visited the school, along with staff of the Education Facilities Company Ltd (EFCL). A board official said the problem is not new and criticised the government for not tackling the issue during the Easter vacation. An official from the ministry said it was hoping to start repairs yesterday, continue on the weekend so school can resume on Monday. Nipal Presbyterian is one of three schools which had to suspend classes prematurely after the first day. Palo Secondary was also affected by ongoing sewer problems, which erupted on Monday. However, the problem has since been rectified and on Thursday, normal classes resumed at Palo Seco.

However, the presence of bats at Biche RC Primary, continue to keep students and staff away. With the support of Lynsley Doodhai, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA), staff walked off the compound on Monday. Citing health and safety concerns, Doodhai said the condition under which his members have been operating is less than acceptable.

He said while measures have been taken to address the presence of the bats and their droppings, the solution is only temporary as the bats return via the space between the roof and the ceiling. There is a call for the roof and ceiling to be replaced and proper maintenance during regular intervals to take place. Students from the Standard Five SEA classes are being tutored at the nearby RC Church, while the rest of the student population is being kept at home until the situation can be rectified.