Mt Hope Secondary teachers refuse to work

Three weeks into the school term, teachers at Mt Hope Secondary School issued a refusal to work citing the school’s health and safety concerns amid flooding issues and dilapidated infrastructure.

A staff member who asked not to be named said the teachers came in, signed and left.

“The safety committee deemed it unsafe to work because there’s no designated safe space.”

They said only two students came to school.

On September 20, Newsday visited the school at 1.21 pm. The school was open but there was no activity or noise.

Earlier, the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) held a demonstration to highlight their plight and called on the ministries of health and education to address the concerns and relocate its students.

In a phone interview, PTA executive Marilyn Marquis said, “Relocate our students, fix our school.”

“Our children want to be educated in a safe, clean and healthy environment that is conducive to learning.

“Our teachers also need the same to educate our children.”

The teachers’ refusal to work has prompted parents to keep their children at home.

“We have been keeping our kids at home. We are not planning to send them back out to school until we know that the building is safe.

“I just want them to relocate our students. I don’t want our students in that environment because it is a hazard to our children’s health.

“Teachers are ready and willing to work, just not in that environment.”

Marquis lamented the school’s health and safety risks after heavy downpours resulted in flooding on the school’s grounds. Videos circulated on social media over the past few days showed students running to avoid flood waters.

She said the learning environment has been impacted as afternoon classes are cancelled due to continuous flooding.

“We are in the rainy season and we are going to get rain at some point in time - it is going to flood.

“We have backed up drains and inadequate drainage. “When the school was built it was not built for the amount of water that is coming onto the compound due to the old-new building they are trying to build next to it.

“With all the rain last week, we realised the classroom is leaking, so we had to close off the classroom. As rain falls, the downstairs in all the classrooms is flooded out.”

Another concern, she said, was that the flooding has resulted in dangerous animals coming onto the compound, including centipedes, snakes and snails.

She alleged the lack of sanitisation and electrical issues have affected the staff’s safety.

“On Tuesday, one of our teachers got shocked while switching on a light in the classroom.

“On Thursday, one of our teachers again, something crept into her clothes, which they (staff) are assuming is a centipede. It stung her and she went for medical treatment.

“Those two teachers are out on sick leave with eight other staff members also out on sick leave. One of our deans also had an allergic reaction because she broke out in hives because we have African snails on the compound.”

TT Unified Teachers Association president Martin Lum Kin lent support to the demonstration.

“We also want to add the principal has done all that she is required to do with the reports and the request for infrastructural work.

“We will continuously represent our members in a forum that is required.

“We are not about sensationalism and public relations. “We are about having the education system run as effectively and efficiently as possible and that our members are given a safe and secure environment for them to carry out the activities.

“We are calling on the Ministry of Education officials to come and see the conditions. I know the administration will welcome them to come and take a close look at the conditions and to spend some time in the school so they will be aware of what is taking place.”