All Region 5 schools being upgraded in time for Monday’s reopening

The Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) administration has said that facilities at all schools are being upgraded in time for Monday’s reopening of schools.

This announcement was made by Regional Chairman Vickchand Ramphal during the statutory meeting of the Region Five Regional Democratic Council (RDC) on Thursday.
One Councillor, Carol Nurse, reported that the Bath Settlement Primary School needs urgent attention, and plumbing deficiencies that were evident in the washroom area during last term have remained unaddressed, which had forced students to walk in inches of dirty water if they wanted to use the washrooms.
This Councillor disclosed that the Bath Settlement Primary School is not conducive to learning, and urged that immediate steps be put in place to remedy the situation.
“I don’t know if they have leakages, but the entire area would be filled with water, and children using the washroom have to walk in that water to use the washroom and then to go back to their class, and so you would find that for the rest of the day they have on wet shoes. The water connection system there needs to be looked at urgently,” Nurse told the RDC.
She also described the wash bay sinks as filthy, and said children should not be made to use those facilities to wash up.
“I am asking that, at every term, some visitation should be done to every school between the Regional Administration and the Department of Education, because the school, I can say that from since last term, you have bins there with rubbish overflowing and it is not healthy for people’s children. The sinks that you have there and asking the children to wash their hands before they enter the building, they need scrubbing – they are very dirty,” the Councillor added.
Following the RDC meeting, this publication visited the school and found the washroom facilities all in order. In fact, Regional Chairman Vickchand Ramphal said systems are in place that, before the commencement of a new school term, the Engineering Department would visit schools in the Region to assess the facilities, and where needed, repair works are carried out.
“This is to ensure that the plumbing and other electrical facilities are functioning properly, and as we are in this meeting, there is staff on the ground and we have engaged contractors to fix these schools across the region, and I am sure that Bath Primary is one of those that will be fixed,” Ramphal told the RDC.
He said that apart from that, each school in the Region has its own management system, which is monitored by the Regional Education Committee.
Headteachers, he explained, play an important role, being the managers of each school.
“They have to ensure that things are in place and communication is being made in a timely manner, so that we will be able to address these problems,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Chairman told this publication following the RDC meeting that all schools are being upgraded in time for Monday’s reopening of schools. (G4)