BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - ANOTHER chapter in the Basseterre High School tale has unfolded with the surfacing of a five-month old report which had declared the Basseterre High School (BHS) situation “a public health issue” and an occupational safety and health issue.
The report, formulated by Dr. Yuka Ujita, an Occupational Safety and Health Specialist attached to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), did not, according to information reaching the media, reach the management of the BHS and that gave rise to a number of questions surround why it may have been withheld.
The report indicated that this is a public health issue “given the fact that students and children in the next-door nursery are affected…”
SKNVibes understands that this report had not reached the hands of management of the BHS until earlier this week although it was reportedly submitted to the Ministry of Education since early June, 2014.
In highlighting some of her observations, Dr. Ujita spoke of the refurbishment of the western campus building and the installation of new equipment. She however noted that “in several rooms, the (new) painting of the ceilings was peeled and fallen off”, the tap water smelt of sewage and her eyes felt irritated while at the Chemistry Lab’s storage room.
The Dr. recommended that consultation with international organisations the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), surveillance of the health of staff and that the final reports from the Caribbean Research Institute (CARIRI) and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) should be reviewed.
Weeks ago however, Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Denzil L. Douglas declared that he is a medical doctor, and a parent, and that he has read the CARIRI and CARPHA reports and that there was nothing wrong with the school.
SKNVibes made attempts to contact the Minister of Education the Hon. Nigel Carty about the ILO report but the calls were unanswered.
The St. Kitts Teachers Union (SKTU) has suggested that the fact that the ILO report was withheld from them further fuels the mistrust which exists between the Ministry of Education and the SKTU.
