BASSETERRE, St. Kitts -- PERMANENT Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Lisa Pistana, recently addressed the ongoing issues at Cayon High School, which has been at the center of public concern.
The institution has seen complaints from teachers about its condition, particularly the presence of mold. SKNVibes spoke with Pistana, who explained that work is currently underway in phase one, which includes refurbishment efforts at the site.
While acknowledging the presence of mold, Pistana noted that a significant priority was the institutional clean-up.
“And by that, I mean the removal of anything that had mold in it. This includes dilapidated areas, broken furniture, and other items of that nature. An initial cleaning was done, and now a professional cleaning is taking place. They are addressing the areas with the highest mold count and performing the necessary cleaning. We have also made some upgrades, especially considering school safety,” said Pistana.
In terms of upgrades, she mentioned that railings not meeting regulation height and windows in disrepair will be fixed. She also confirmed that the doors would be repaired, ensuring the school is ready for students by September.
Phase two will focus on the safety and security of students. With the summer break underway, the ministry plans to conduct maintenance on other institutions before schools reopen in September.
“One of our major tasks this year has been assessing our institutions to ensure they meet standards. It's a challenging task, as many of our buildings are old,” Pistana stated.
According to Pistana, the ministry found that some issues are minor fixes, while others require significant planning and effort.
Pistana emphasized the ministry's commitment to ensuring that “all our institutions are safe and ready for occupancy by students, teachers, and ancillary staff.”
