As students of the Grazettes Primary School settle in their new classrooms at the Ebenezer and Breath of Life Seventh Day Adventist churches, education officials say they are fixing their attention on correcting problems at the school.
Acting Minister of Education Senator Harry Husbands addressed the matter today as journalists pressed him on the way forward during his tour of the students’ new environs.
Classes at the Grazettes, St Michael educational institution were suspended last week, following several disruptions since the start of the school term, because of environmental problems.
Insisting that the ministry was standing by its findings that a foul odour that plagued the school since the start of the school year was related to fogging activity, Husbands gave the assurance that personnel from the Ministries of Health and Education are dealing with the issue.
School’s Principal Etwyn Bynoe with Senator Husbands.
“At the site, the staff of the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health are putting everything in place,” he said.
Husbands added that the clean-up would focus on “mainly airing the building as much as possible”.
“They are going to install the necessary fans and so, clear out some of the odours from some of the corners and the basement and so on. I think it is mainly a process
of airing the building and getting it ready in various other ways for school to resume,” he said.
Husbands said the ministry is sticking to a three-week timeline for the work to be completed.
“We don’t know what challenges will arise but so far we are working with a three-week programme.”
Meanwhile, he is satisfied that the students and staff are getting ahead with the business of learning although he admitted it was not an ideal situation.
“We know that this is a temporary arrangement . . . and, in the meantime, we need to get back to resolving the problems that are at the main school site but so far, except that they need to get a couple of fans because it is pretty hot in the room, other than that I think they have settled in well and teaching and learning is, certainly in my view, underway,” Husbands said.