The security guard attached to the Nismes Primary School, West Bank Demerara feels she is being victimised after she spoke out about a snake that was spotted at the school last month.
Vanessa Bhagwandin, 36, told Stabroek News that a regional official informed her that she had been transferred to La Grange Primary.
When she expressed concerns about the move because her present location is more convenient, she was told, “I must see what I gon do.”
In other words, she said, what the official was implying was that she would actually “be without a job.”
The official did not “give me an explanation” but she believes that it was because she was the one who highlighted the issues of the snakes at the school and even gave comments about it on a television newscast.
Apart from living at Nismes, and her workplace being close to home, the woman has two young sons attending the school.
Bhagwandin is the sole wage earner at present since her husband, who worked in the interior, contracted malaria and has been unemployed.
Meanwhile, concerned parents of students attending the school protested the situation on Monday and Tuesday, saying nothing was done to ensure the children’s safety.
They were voicing their concerns on Tuesday, when officials from the Educa-tion Department arrived with workers to start clearing the bush in front of the school and weeding the yard.
The parents said bats were also living in the rotten ceiling and the bat droppings would fall on the students. Apart from causing serious allergies, it would result in a lot of mess.
The department had announced that the children should remain at home until Monday for more work to be undertaken.
But now the parents are concerned that the work may not be completed in time for Monday. They lamented too that while they were pleased that the work was finally being done, they were disappointed to see “old wood” being used to replace older wood, the implication being that the current repairs would not last long.
They had said too the school had been disrupted since around October 18, after the security guard on duty spotted the first snake on October 17 and called a neighbour to help. He had 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.
Parents of students plan to raise their concerns again at a Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meeting that is to be held at the school tomorrow at 2pm.
