Alternative accommodation should be provided for Canouan students – SVGTU

The St Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers Union (SVGTU) is calling on the Government to provide alternative accommodation for the population of the Canouan Government School.

In a release issued Friday, the Union said it “strongly urges the Ministry of Education to act expeditiously and make alternative arrangements to house the students and teachers of the Canouan Government School.”{{more}}

The Union said it is extremely concerned about the safety of students and staff and, equally about teaching and learning instructional time.

The Union, therefore, urged the Ministry of Education to use its best endeavours to seek the use of community buildings, churches and or community centres to relocate, in order to mitigate the current crisis.

“The Ministry of Education also has the option to explore the possibility of erecting temporary facilities, including toilet and other facilities, in the school yard, once the imminent danger of existing building is brought under control.

“The Union is also disappointed and concerned that a colleague, the principal of the school (the Ministry of Education’s Administrator), still continues to occupy the school building which has been deemed unsafe. The Union is, therefore, in the interest of utmost safety, urging the Ministry of Education to instruct the principal to evacuate the building immediately and stay clear of the danger.

“Finally, teachers and the SVGTU are ready and willing to cooperate to give full instructional time to students but await the Ministry of Education’s swift response on the suggested alternative arrangements,” the release said.

The release from the SVGTU followed an earlier one, issued last Wednesday, in which the Union advised teachers to report for duty, but to keep away from the building.

The release said that the building has been declared structurally unsafe and as a consequence jeopardizes the safety of the occupants.

According to the release, the SVGTU’s decision follows a consultation involving a team from the SVGTU, an engineer and contractor, along with teachers of the school.

The release stated: “The experts indicate that in the grade 1 classroom, the walls are separating from the foundation and the possibility of a collapse is very real.”

However, Minister of Education St Clair “Jimmy” Prince, in an interview last Wednesday, assured users of the school building that the structure is safe and there is no immediate danger of the building collapsing.

He said two sets of engineers from the Buildings, Roads and General Services Authority (BRAGSA) and from the Ministry of Works, had inspected the building and reported that there is no immediate threat “to life or limb” and that the school is in no danger of collapsing.

Prince said that the teachers and parents were advised since last week that the building is safe, “but the Union (SVGTU) is agitating.”

He said that the Union’s call for persons to stay out of the building is not justified, as the Union does not have the advice of engineers.

“The engineers have said that the building is firm and there is no danger of it collapsing. It will be regularly monitored and the engineers will do some work on it during the holidays,” said Prince.

He said that repairs on the cracks and other issues will be carried out when school closes, as work cannot be done during school time.

“…they will monitor it at regular periods, but they have said there is no danger,” stressed Prince in an interview last week.