The National Democratic Youth Movement is concerned with the conditions at the Samaritan Presbyterian Primary School.
The St Mark Samaritan Presbyterian Primary School building’s condition has left both teachers and students exposed to a dangerous environment that can cause serious harm to their health, safety or welfare and to the students’ educational opportunities.
Upon our initial investigation, the main source of the problem at the school is the roofing which was badly reconstructed after the passage of Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Over the years, the condition of the school has deteriorated to the point where the threat of electrical fires have increased and the basic responsibility to provide a safe and healthy environment for the students and teachers has been neglected after several unproductive visits by ministry officials. It is in our view that this lack of attention by the authorities of such an important institution is unacceptable and irresponsible.
We believe that the way forward must include a combination of technical skills and financial resources such as:
1) A proper programme of technical visits to public schools which can involve engineers attached to the Ministry of Works,
2) A documenting team at the Ministry of Education on the repairing or upgrading periods of all public schools, and
3) The proper allocation of financial resources for the maintenance of public schools so as the bring most, if not all public schools facing such a challenge, in line with a modern educational building code that takes into account climate change effects and preventative measures for water damages.
The National Democratic Youth Movement is prepared to offer any assistance, through our parent body to the St Mark Presbyterian Primary School, and we hope that a solution can be found as soon as possible.
