Mosquito infestation forces teachers to work on roadside

A mosquito infestation and flooded washroom at the Freeburg Secondary School, Norton and Palm Streets, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, has forced a number of teachers to sit on the roadside of the school in an effort to meet deadlines for their end of term submissions.
When Guyana Times visited the school on Monday, a majority of the students had been sent home and just a few remained in a classroom sitting their end of term examination.
During the visit to the school, it was observed that the entire building had been teeming with mosquitoes. Also, there was a dysfunctional washroom located on the lower flat of the building. The washroom was flooded and seemed abandoned and according to the teachers, it has been in that condition for a number of years.
Teachers who reached out to this newspaper complained that several reports were made to the Education Ministry, which usually seeks the Public Health Ministry’s assistance in fumigating premises, however, that would only offer a temporary relief to the problem.
The teachers pointed out that no effort has been made by the Education Ministry to acquire the services of a contractor to remedy the issue of the flooded washroom.
The educators went on to note that they made a report to the Ministry on Monday morning and once again, the Deputy Education Officer advised that they “spray out” a safe room and remain there and have the students who did not have examinations on Monday to return home.
The teachers also said that they were advised that the Education Ministry sought assistance from the Public Health Ministry in fumigating the school, however, the Ministry said that they would be unable to deal with the matter until later in the week.
The Head Teacher of the school declined to comment on the matter.
Meanwhile, following a photograph published on Inews on Monday highlighting the conditions the teachers were forced to work under, which involved them sitting outside in the schoolyard doing their work, the Education Ministry issued a statement saying that the Vector Control Unit within the Public Health Ministry will visit the school to fumigate the building.
According to the Ministry, the school will remain closed today and resume operations on Wednesday. The teachers have since been assigned to Charlestown Secondary School for today.