BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A comprehensive task force is to be established to deal with rehabilitating the Basseterre High School which – for the past couple of years – has been the centre of contention between the Ministry of Education and teachers, who claimed the environment was making them sick.
The recommendation came from an Arbitration Panel which was set up to break the deadlock between the two groups and “address the growing health and safety concerns to the Basseterre High School…”
The Panel’s members are attoeney-at-law and certified arbitrator Dr. Ken Ballantyne, management consultant and principal of Trinity Business Services Wendy Phipps, medical practitioner Dr. Bichara Sahely and the Anglican Communion’s Rev. Canon Isaiah Phillip.
In addition to ordering the immediate extraction of the student body from the school and the commencement of a shift system with the Washington Archibald High School, the Panel has ordered that “every effort (be) made to identify and correct – once and for all – the problems that could be responsible for the symptoms being experienced by the teachers and staff at the BHS”.
Expressing its view that the problem at the school is “primarily a health issue”, the Panel called upon the Ministry of Health to perform a “lead role in exploring avenues to identify and resolve the causes giving rise to the medical complaints by students and teachers”.
The task force, as outlined by the Panel, is to have representation from all stakeholders – the St. Kitts Teachers Union, Ministries of Labour, Health, Education and Environment, Management of the BHS, the BHS Parent Teachers’ Association and the Attorney General’s Chambers.
As for its responsibilities, the task force is to institute and action plan which would have attached clearly-set timelines.
“Among other matters, the Action Plan should be inclusive of completion of all remedial work previously recommended; the sourcing of technical and/or financial assistance from agencies such as UNICEF, PAHO, WHO, and other United Nations bodies; and the commissioning of an independent agency to do final testing and give full clearance for the return of the students and staff to the school.”
The panel’s release however, does not stipulate a time by which the task force is to be established.
In a joint release issued by the St. Kitts Teachers Union, the BHS Parent Teachers Union and Management and the Ministry of Education have committed to adhering to the findings and suggestions outlined in the Arbitration Panel’s report.
“We commit ourselves to not only the full acceptance and adherence of the findings and awards but also to the guidance given in seeking to bring final and complete resolution to the Basseterre High School issues.”
