Health, safety and the school environment

TTUTA

HEALTH AND safety issues in school settings are pervasive. On a daily basis TTUTA is charged with addressing and finding resolution to these issues so that the business of teaching and learning can progress. On a number of occasions, treating with these issues may result in schools being temporarily shut down. When this occurs, certain sectors of the public may view the association as an organisation that promotes the shutting down of schools.

However, this is furthest from the truth. TTUTA is of the view that an optimal learning environment is critical for facilitating teaching and learning. In this regard, it believes that all stakeholders in education must work together to enhance the education experience, inclusive of the physical environment in which teaching and learning take place.

Consequently, the association is unwilling to sit idly by and allow our members and their students to work and learn in schools that violate the provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The public can rest assured that when the association advises its members to remove themselves from a school, it is in accordance with the act and only after other options have been explored and failed to remedy the situation.

There are several examples of safety and health issues that regularly plague our schools. Among these are electrical problems that often lead to power fluctuations, and in the worst case fires, as have been experienced at La Romaine Secondary, Cunupia Government Primary, St Gabriel Girls’ RC and San Juan South Secondary, to name a few. Additionally, many of the newly constructed schools that have been designed and built to run with air-conditioned units are often rendered uninhabitable as a consequence of poor maintenance. The failure to establish a sustainable maintenance schedule often results in poor air quality, and sometimes full systems shut down as has occurred at Princes Town East, Aranguez North and Five Rivers Secondary schools.

Mould, mildew and the presence of vermin like rats, bats and pigeon also pose a threat to the health and well-being of schools’ occupants where they occur. There are a number of life-threatening diseases that may be contracted when exposed to these risk factors, inclusive of leptospirosis, respiratory tract infections and other bacterial conditions. Indeed, the association would be irresponsible if it fails to have these conditions addressed. Schools that have fallen victim to such conditions include Aranguez North Secondary, Carapichaima East Secondary and Biche RC Primary School.

Another health-risk factor plaguing schools, especially our ageing school plants, is sewer problems. This often results in exposed waste water and effluent which can pose very serious health challenges on a number of fronts to all plant users if not addressed with a sense of urgency; San Fernando East Secondary is one such example.

Apart from the health risks identified above, there are also safety and security issues that need to be attended to. A number of schools lack security fences, while in others there are breaks in the existing fences, combined with inadequate complement of security officers. These combined factors contribute to breaches in the safety and security of protocols of schools so affected and increases the safety risk to all occupants. From an educational perspective, this does not contribute to an optimal environment for teaching and learning. While these problems are pervasive, they are not insurmountable. There is need for education stakeholders to recognise that educating our nation’s children is a multi-sectoral affair; different entities need to collaborate to address these issues. In its regular meetings with the Ministry of Education, the association has made the following suggestions in order to bring redress to these problems:

• The development and adherence to a school maintenance schedule that is proactive and preventative in scope.

• Partnerships with other sectors such as the Electrical Inspectorate, the Fire Service, regional corporations and public health so that routine inspections can be conducted to mitigate the risks associated with these hazards.

• Proper quality assurance measures during construction to avoid the “shoddy work” that may sometimes result in the occurrence of these problems.

Moreover, schools must not shirk their responsibilities under OSHA. School administrations must ensure they establish and enact their health and safety committees, providing them with necessary resources so that preventive action may be taken before potentially high-risk health and safety situations escalate. Parents, you also have a role to play. Visit your children’s schools intermittently and see the conditions under which they are expected to perform. Make note of and bring to the attention of the school administration any situation that alarms you. Education is all of our business.

Comments

"Health, safety and the school environment"

More in this section