BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE situation plaguing Basseterre High School (BHS) has entered a phase of déjà vu as, following a pre-visit from the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI) and meetings with stakeholders, a decision has been made to have staff and students relocated...again.
A two-member team from the CARIRI visited the school sometime last week for observation and conducted interviews with a number teachers and students who have been complaining of health issues including skin irritations, nausea, dizziness and respiratory problems.
As promised by the Education Ministry, a meeting was also held on Wednesday (Apr. 23) with CARIRI and the school's stakeholders (parents, students, teachers etc) to discuss the symptoms being experienced, among other issues, so as to determine what forms of testing should be done at the school once the Research Institute makes its visit for official testing.
The school will be closed on Monday (Apr. 28) to allow for measures to be put in place with regards to where the students and teachers would be housed.
According to WINN FM, CARIRI team said that the teachers "have real cause for concern", as the school's Western Campus "should not have been re-occupied last September until all of its recommendations including re-testing were carried out", adding that statements made suggesting that the December 2012 report signalled that the school was safe were false.
WINN FM reported some of CARIRI's recommendations to be an evaluation of the school's plumbing system and "an examination of the integrity of lines on both campuses; an upgrade of the sewage system to the sewage treatment plant; the underground drainage system of Chemistry lab be condemned; Soil Testing; Microbiological test should be done, and allergens and formaldehyde testing should also be conducted, testing of potable water testing should be carried out on a monthly basis; monitors be placed around the campus so real time data of gases can be collected; and pest control be carried out to try to eradicate rodents".
In January 2013, students and teachers on the Western Campus were relocated to the Old Boys and Old Girls School as well as the stands in the football and cricket stadiums in Warner Park. A temporary classroom structure was later erected on the Eastern Campus to accommodate some of the students and teachers.
Following building refurbishment which included the power-washing of all areas affected by excessive dust and mould; repairing of structural defects in the roof, walls and pillars; and having the buildings gutted, removing all wooden, leaky and wet structures; the Western Campus was re-opened but by January this year complaints of the same symptoms were being made again.
This second relocation comes after prolonged concerns about the health of the school have been raised by teachers, students and parents. It also comes after health officials, following tests done by the local Ministry, have declared the school safe and Education Minister Nigel Carty stated, just earlier this month, that there were no reasons for such.
This issue affecting the BHS is one that has been viral since November 2012 when teachers took industrial action after concerns raised about the school's safety were not being taken seriously.
Since then much attention was given to the matter with the laboratories believed to have been the center of the contamination issue. However, suggestions were that the issue originated from septic tanks which were not properly maintained.
The school was closed from late November 2012 to mid-January 2013 and agreements were made following visitations by experts of the Trinidad-based CARIRI and several meetings among the Ministry, teachers and parents of the school.
Measures were taken to have the school returned to a state of normalcy in January 2013, prior to the reopening of the western campus.
The main concern being raised by the public and also reported to have been raised at Wednesday's meeting, was the fact that while recommendations and measures are being taken to rectify the issue the root cause of the problem is yet to be identified.
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