School raided by ticks

Students at the J.P. Eustace Memorial School were given four unexpected days off recently. The students and teachers were out of the classroom last week Thursday and Friday, as well as Monday and Tuesday this week.

Information reaching SEARCHLIGHT is that stray dogs found themselves on the premises over the Easter holiday and released a large quantity of ticks throughout the school compound.{{more}}

When contacted a senior Ministry of Education official asserted that the Ministry is “on top of the situation.”

The official revealed that the school was sprayed by the Public Health Department last Thursday and Friday, and over the weekend the Ministry paid to have the school cleaned.

However, when the Public Health Department returned to the school on Monday to inspect the premises, it was realised that one fourth-form room had not been sprayed, and the staff room had not been cleaned. Additionally, the scent of the chemical used to spray the premises was still so overwhelming on Monday that the Ministry of Education thought it wise to ask the students and teachers who had turned up for school on Monday to return home.

The classroom that had not been sprayed was done on Monday, and the entire school was cleaned again on Tuesday.

Some students of the school expressed their disappointment about the situation. One said, “I am really upset because of this, seeing that we have exams coming up very soon and we need to prepare.” Another student stated that the time off would give him a lot more time to study but stressed that he is anxious to get back to school.

The students returned to school on Wednesday.