PTA fumes over non-action to rectify unsanitary condition at Anna Regina schools
The Parent Teachers’ Association of the CV Nunes Primary School in Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), has called out the Regional Education Department over its non-action to rectify unsanitary conditions at the school.
Acting Regional Chairperson, Nandranie Coonjah stands next to a condemned septic tank near the Anna Regina Nursery School which poses a danger to children
Speaking with Guyana Times, Chairman of the PTA Rasheeda Persaud said that she is at her wits end with the situation of the sanitary block of the CV Nunes Primary School. On Friday, the media and acting Regional Chairperson Nandranie Coonjah were invited to the school to have a firsthand look at the washroom facility. During the visit, it was observed that some of the toilets at the school were not functioning and the few operational ones, including the male urinals, are overflowing. The PTA Chairman noted that the septic tank is in a terrible condition and needs flushing out. The drainage pipes, which are underground, are too small and silted up, causing overtopping of the septic tank. That waste then flows into the drains around the school and when it rains the situation is worse, the PTA Chairman said. There are some 750 students at the leading learning institution.
The acting Regional Chairperson also visited the Anna Regina Nursery School, where concerned parents reported of a condemned septic tank, which is located in front of the school’s building with a broken, opened top which is covered with a zinc sheet. Parents are fearful for their children’s safety and are calling for the immediate dismantle and removal of the condemned septic tank.
The concerned parents also complained that despite numerous reports, no action has been taken to rectify the situation.
One parent told this publication that some months ago, two regional workers visited the compound to examine the situation but nothing has happened since that initial assessment.
The acting Regional Chairperson said that she is very disappointed with the pace of work and the way things are being done in the region.
She said she will be advocating for immediate action to be taken to fix the problems in the school system including the furnishing of teachers’ living quarters in the interior locations within the region.
