Mess in Schools

Close to 70 per cent of the 217 educational institutions across Manchester have been dubbed satisfactory, based on public health requirements, but the remaining schools have been struggling with issues including pest control, sewage leaks, and water sanitation.

In a report from the Manchester Health Department, dated August 31, recommendations have also been made for four schools to treat their water before school reopens today. These are Grove Town Primary, Woodlands Primary and Infant School, and Marlie Hill Primary and Infant.

The main concern identified at the schools was water sanitation. There was also an issue with inadequate pest proofing at Grove Town Primary and Marlie Hill Primary.

Inspection was carried out last month by the Manchester Health Department in light of concerns raised about the health condition in the schools.

“Unsatisfactory conditions in schools were primarily due to inadequate pest control, school canteens not meeting food-handling regulations requirement, dysfunctional excreta disposal facilities, and water sanitation,” stated the report.

Continued inspections

The schools cited as unsatisfactory were provided with the necessary recommendations to remedy the breaches for the start of the new school year.

Additionally, the Manchester Health Department will continue to carry out inspections within the first two weeks of the school year to find out the extent to which those schools that were deemed unsatisfactory have fully complied with public health requirements.

Vector-control activities are also being done across the parish, including the school compounds. Fogging exercises will also continue into the start of the new school year.

According to the report, Pratville Primary and Infant School has been relocated due to ongoing renovation work affected by Hurricane Beryl, which damaged the roof.

The primary school will operate from Asia Seventh-day Adventist Church, and the infant school will be at the Pratville Assembly of God. The Adventist church was assessed and deemed satisfactory.

However, the other church is to be assessed today after the first visit fell through.

The report further noted that Plowden Primary and Infant was visited twice last month but was closed on each occasion.

The school suffered major damage to its roof during the passage of Hurricane Beryl and no repair work, reportedly, has been done.

The inspection team, as a result, will revisit the school today.

During a visit to the school, reported on in The Sunday Gleaner last week, the newspaper observed that several feet of electrical wires carrying power from the roadway to the main building hung precariously, creating a significant hazard.

Principal Karen Smith had raised concern about the threat posed by wires, noting that it needed to be fixed urgently, and that it had been reported to the relevant authorities.

“Also, at the back, there needs to be repairs to the electricity system as the connections to the infant department and grade one need urgent repairs. Failing that, there will be no light in the infant and grade one [sections],” she had indicated.

The team also stopped at Marlie Hill Primary, where several water tanks that were dislodged by the hurricane were observed on the ground.

However, workers were seen cutting overgrown grass and building a facility to store garbage awaiting collection by the authorities.

Several schools in the parish, especially those in the southern section, which were heavily ravaged by the hurricane, are still grappling with the effects of the disaster, which has created further challenges ahead of today’s beginning of the new school year.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com