Success staff, students smoked out

Students and teachers at the Success Laventille Secondary School had to leave school yesterday morning after they complained of difficulty breathing due to smoke from burning rubbish at the Beetham landfill.

Newsday spoke to a teacher at the school who said he could barely breathe when he arrived shortly after 7 am. He said that was not the first time teachers and students had complained of the smoke to the Ministry of Education, but yesterday morning’s smoke completely engulfed the compound.

“It tends to come and go depending on how the wind blows, but this morning was really awful. Last year it was really bad, during the dry season especially the smoke from fires on the Beetham was really bad.

“The night before it happened, but the direction of the wind changed so it dissipated for a while. But by 8.30 am we were completely covered in smoke.

“This has been going on for a while. People have gotten sick from the exposure. I stayed in the staffroom for as long as I could, but as soon as the door opened you could smell it. It really is a problem and I still can’t breathe properly.”

He said there was nowhere in the school for staff and students to avoid the smoke and teachers had to leave, citing health concerns according to the TT Unified Teachers Association’s (TTUTA) health and safety regulations.

Asked if they would be back at school on Monday, the teacher said, while they hoped the situation would be resolved by then, teachers would have to “wait and see.”

Newsday also spoke to TTUTA president Lynsley Doodhai, who confirmed reports were made to one of his association’s representatives and he understood concerns of the teachers.

He added, “I can attest to the fact that while driving into the city, the smoke was very thick and it did permeate into my car, so I can only imagine how the school would have been affected. “The safety of teachers and students are of paramount concern and it should be whether they can safely remain on the compound should be a priority.”

Doodhai said it was up to the ministry to get the San Juan Laventille Regional Corporation to reduce the amount of smoke coming from the landfill.

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"Success staff, students smoked out"

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