The Ministry of Education sent two separate teams to investigate reports about snakes invading the Nismes Primary School, West Bank Demerara which has forced the students and teachers to abandon the upper flat.
Reports are that the first team visited yesterday morning to “assess what needed to be done in terms of extermination.”
“They looked for evidence that the reptiles had access to the ceiling… They went into the ceiling with power lights to check…,” according to parents.
The second team, comprising of engineers went to the school some three hours later, apparently based on the recommendations from the first.
They also conducted thorough checks and made further assessments “on what needed to be done.”
According to reports, the team promised that the school and department would be informed about the next move.
The visits came following a report in Tuesday’s Stabroek News over the state of the school.
Stabroek News learnt that the students and teachers would have to be relocated for work to be undertaken on the building.
The students have been cramped in the lower flat of the building, based on advice from the Guyana Teachers Union, to avoid anyone being bitten.
The parents who were concerned about the safety of their children said they would not occupy the upper flat unless it is cleared.
Yesterday, they were relieved that the teams visited and said “it seems as though actions would soon be taken.”
Reports are that the security guard on duty spotted the first snake on October 17 and called a neighbour to help. He made a hook and used it to “pull down the snake and kill it.”
Another was seen in the ceiling, while one was spotted entwined with the electrical wire that connects to the building, making its way to the roof.
Some persons were of the view that the snakes were making their way over to the school because of vegetation being cleared nearby to facilitate the construction of a koker.
The building is said to be accommodating a total of 103 students at the moment, 56 of whom were housed in the upper flat.
This newspaper was told that two other snakes were also seen in the building in July and August while another was seen in the trees in front of the compound in September.
Meanwhile, Stabroek News had observed deep holes all around the school’s compound while portions of the playground and a large section of the compound were covered in water.
An old pond, which is nearby was brought to the attention of the authorities in 2012, and at the time a promise was made that it would have been filled with sand.
Instead, a quantity of debris was taken and thrown inside and it has not been properly filled and levelled.
That pond was said to be the home of caimans and a student had come into contact with one of the creatures in 2012 and was lashed with its tail.
Meantime, a large portion of the school compound was also occupied with overgrown weeds while the fence at the sides and back were taken over with bushes.
There is no fence or gate in front of the compound, so it is constantly invaded by straying cattle, resulting in damage to drains and the holes mentioned earlier.
It was reported that the RDC had also promised the teachers to kill the growing weeds but this has not been done so far.
The main bridge which teachers and students use to access the school is also deteriorating. Holes are beginning to widen on the wooden structure.
