Students and teachers are disgusted by the stench that is emanating from the Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary School on the West Coast of Demerara following recent flooding caused by the high tide.
Concerned persons who spoke to Stabroek News said the stagnant water that has been lodged under the school building has caused the environment to be very unhealthy and serves as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
They said that over 500 students attend the school whose condition is definitely not conducive to learning.
The students also “dwell and play in the yard and if a ball goes under there they have to go in the water to retrieve it.”
The high tide started around 2 pm on Wednesday forcing the students and teachers to immediately vacate the school. The flooding continued on Thursday and Friday but no sanitizing was done to the compound.
Apart from that, they said, whenever it rains the compound would be flooded. They noted that a little water was still lodged under the school after heavy rainfall in January. The only way the water can recede completely is if a drain is dug. The Ministry of Education is aware of the situation and had promised to provide relief to the school this month.
“The stagnant water is mixed with cemetery water as well as faeces that flowed over from residents’ pit latrine in the jetty (Plastic City),” a parent told this newspaper.
The surroundings were supposed to be sprayed in such situations but the last time it was sprayed was about one year ago.
As a result, the students and teachers have experienced skin irritation “but they cannot stay home. We wish if something can be done about it, if not a group of us would go to the ministry ourselves and protest. They cannot play with people’s health.”
The parent lamented that the compound should have been sprayed after the last flooding “but this was not done. They could have done it over the weekend.” To ease the smell, the cleaners were advised to spray disinfectants.
Classes for the teachers’ management programme are held at the school on Saturdays while the teachers’ college is also housed there.
Meanwhile, parents said that the toilets that the students were using are out of order and they are currently using the two that were available for the male and female teachers, cleaners and the security guards.
They lamented too that the school does not have a water facility, saying that the school depends on “rain water and if the rain don’t fall the toilet don’t flush.”
According to them, “Some of the teachers would opt to go home and use their own toilets because the toilets are really dirty and they would get an infection.”
They said too that “the building is falling apart; the flooring is becoming loose, the ceiling is rotten and electrical wires are exposed.”
