Another Cover up at Basseterre High School

Team UNITY demands publication of FULL CARIRI report

Basseterre, St.Kitts (Tuesday Feb 25th 2014)  --  Parents, guardians, students, teachers and the general public at large are now in tune to the reality that something is very wrong at the Basseterre High School (B.H.S). In 2012, the general public awoke to the shock that the Ministry of Education, had shamelessly presided over the dilapidation of the Basseterre High School to the extent that the labs, and several classrooms became the source of unwholesome contamination.

When the news broke of students and teachers suffering health problems, the arrogant Senator Nigel Carty attacked the teachers claiming that they were imagining things. The situation however worsened.  Teachers went on strike- action and government got out of its slumber and neglect and invited the Trinidad based Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI) to conduct tests on the School Campus.

True to the nature of the Douglas regime to hide the truth from the public and propagandize everything, the Minister of Education, Nigel Carty arrogated to himself the right to hide the full report from the teachers. According to the disrespectful Carty, teachers would not understand what was in the report. As a result, the true state of the danger to the health and wellness of persons at the B.H.S was never properly and fully ventilated nor addressed by the cavalier government.

The government hurriedly did some renovation works. We cannot say that the work was subjected to input of the Physical Planning Board, nor that it satisfied the requirements mandated by CARIRI as the government hid the CARIRI report. We know there was no public tender for works at the school, costing the tax payers and country millions of dollars. We therefore cannot say that we got value for money.

What we do know is that the problem is back at B.H.S. Teachers are getting sick. Students are getting sick. The same symptoms that emerged in 2012 when the labs were discovered to be contaminated are back. Something must be done and we cannot rely on a corrupt, intransparent and illegitimate regime to do the right thing.

A medical practitioner with many years of practice, Dr Thelma Phillip Browne is calling for the return of CARIRI to conduct follow up tests on the school’s campus. Meantime Clement Williams is being quoted by WINNFM radio as supporting the call for the return of a team from CARIRI, “when all of the recommendations made by CARIRI were implemented.” Bouncin Williams chaired the panel that recommended the closure of the B.H.S campus over air quality issues.

It would appear that over 1 year has elapsed and all the recommendations made by CARIRI are not yet implemented. No wonder the symptoms have returned and our students, and teachers are suffering. Somebody must be held accountable. Who in the Ministry is negligent? Who in the Ministry is so arrogant as to risk the health and wellbeing of our students and teachers? Who determined that all the recommendations of CARIRI will not be implemented and why?

Something is awry in the Ministry of Education. Our schools are no longer safe places for learning. Our teachers and students are at risk and the illegitimate government is hiding the truth.

Team Unity demands the publication in full of the CARIRI report and an independent investigation by a competent body into the health and safety concern at the Basseterre High School. TIME FOR ACTION IS NOW.