Beach Allen teachers peeved at request to clean toilets
Head Teacher disputes claims
By Terresa McCall
Reporter-SKNVibes.com
~~Adz:Left~~ BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – TEACHERS of the Beach Allen Primary School are calling for immediate intervention from the Ministry of Education in situations where seemingly “ridiculous” changes have been made since the school took on new leadership at the beginning of the 2008/2009 school year.
President of the Parents Teachers Association of the Beach Allen Primary Reginald C. H. Thomas, alias Calypso Thomas, told SKNVibes that over the past days he has received “numerous reports” via cellular phone indicating that the teachers there are at their whit’s end and are very much displeased with the changes that have been made.
According to Calypso Reggie, one of the issues addressed in the text messages is that a request was made by Head Mistress Emilie Warner for the teachers to begin cleaning the school’s lavatory facilities.
“…She said we have to take turn to clean the toilet. Government needs to get a cleaner,” as Calpyso Reggie quoted from one of the texted messages. SKNVibes also understands that a roster was drafted outlining the days on which the named teachers are to clean the facilities.
Another concern of the teachers, as Calypso Reggie explained, is the alleged recent prohibiting of the School Meals vehicle from entering the premises to deliver the meals. He explained that he understands the vehicle now has to park outside the compound and carry the containers by hand, onto the compound.
“School meal lunch bus has to stay in the road and hand in the lunch,” another text read.
Calypso Reggie told SKNVibes it is apparent that the teachers at the school are under “a great deal of pressure” and are “stressed out” by recent the happenings.
Quoting from another text, he said, “Too much stress and can’t function to teach. We need the Ministry to come to an urgent meeting. Help us….”
The PTA president informed this media house that “I am trying my utmost to get the situation resolved and I am personally looking into it”.
Late yesterday afternoon, SKNVibes contacted Head Mistress Warner and told her the rumours which this media house has caught wind of. Relative to the cleaning of the school’s lavatory facilities, she said that the rumours are being spread by “malicious persons” and noted that she did not tell the teacher they would have to clean the facilities.
“Yes we had a meeting. They use the bathroom so I said to them, ‘I don’t know if the cleaner is responsible but I know if you use the bathroom somebody has to clean it’. I did not tell them that they have to clean it. Somebody has to clean it. So, if teachers use the bathroom who is going to clean it if the cleaner is not responsible? Until I find out who is responsible for cleaning the bathroom, the teachers will be responsible for cleaning it!”
Warner also addressed the school meals issue and explained that owing to the problem of soil erosion taking place in the school’s yard, all vehicular traffic has been discontinued from the said area.
“The yard is being eroded. What is causing the erosion in the yard? The driving of vehicles! How are we going to control the yard? …Ask Haiti, they know about it best. They removed their vegetation and now they are in problems with flooding and that is what is happening with the yard.”
The Head Mistress maintained that the persons responsible for spreading these rumours are merely attempting to “malign” others and have purely malevolent intentions.
