Repair works have commenced at the Harold Wilson Primary School in Ituni, Region Ten following the decision by parents to keep their children at home due to the deplorable infrastructural conditions at the school.
Regional Chairman Renis Morian told Stabroek News that the works on the school building are expected to continue for at least the next three weeks.
“You never know what you might meet up when doing maintenance work; when you pull off two boards, you might see the need for more work to be done, so we not restricting it to three weeks,” he explained.
Nonetheless, he offered the assurance that students have returned to school following the regional administration’s intervention.
Parents had organised a protest last Monday on the heels of the beginning of the new school term.
Stabroek News was told that parents, armed with placards, converged outside the school’s compound on Monday morning to air their dissatisfaction with the state of the school.
Among their demands were the establishment of a new sanitary block, access to potable water at the school as well as rehabilitation of the rotting corridors and stairways.
One parent, Dale Noble, explained that these were not new grievances being aired as the situation has been the same for more than two years.
He further alluded to visits made by government officials in April and August of last year, when, he says, they promised to address the issue. However, several months later, the situation has not changed.
“This is nothing new. Right now, these children, both male and female, are sharing one sanitary block where only one toilet working. We have asked for a new block to be established but nothing hasn’t happened,” Noble said. “We don’t have water at the school; the septic tank cover fall in the other day and now we have another potential hazard for the children. Inside the HM’s office, you have to set bucket to catch water when rain fall. If you look at the corridors and steps, you’ll see that everywhere rotten out. How do you expect children to learn here?” the man further questioned.
Additionally, Noble said though he would have seen the engineer visiting the school, parents were not informed of any plan of action as the official just checked the building and left.
Noble had further stated that until answers are provided on the plans going forward, the children will remain at home.
