When it rains, it pours at Smith’s Memorial Primary

…teachers complain of leaking roof

Teachers at the Smith’s Memorial Primary School, Hadfield Street, Georgetown, are fuming while at the same time hoping for urgent attention to be paid to the leaking roof at the institution, which is currently taking a beating on the pupils as the daily downpours continue.

Guyana Times was told that the leaking roof went unnoticed at the school for months during the dry weather but now that the rainy season has begun, students and teachers are being forced to move around their classrooms to avoid getting wet.
This publication visited the school on Wednesday morning for an event during which a heavy downpour began, forcing children to shift around in the building.
In fact, the Head Teacher of the school, Iyodele Hamilton, was being interviewed in her office when she too was distracted by a leakage coming from above her.
She explained that the Education Ministry was informed of the situation since last term and promises were made to have the issue rectified as soon as possible.
According to the Head Teacher, the school was visited on Tuesday by an official who seemed as though he was assessing the situation. She, however, complained that several other parts of the building also leak whenever it rains, especially the auditorium which is generally used to facilitate formal events.
Moreover, the auditorium also houses the Grade Five and Six classes which are often made uncomfortable by the rainfall.
“We are looking for help in that area, with immediate effect that would be good,” Hamilton shared.
A teacher who did not state her name, informed this publication that the roof was fixed before but the issue seems to be reoccurring. That teacher said she hopes that the pupils and staffers can benefit from a new school in the near future as many school are undergoing repairs.
Efforts by Guyana Times to contact senior officials at the Education Ministry proved futile.