Hope Estate:--- Several teachers of the Marie Genevieve de Weever School are peeved at the state of their classrooms and the sewage water that is still running behind the right wing of the building. The teachers were at the school on Tuesday cleaning their classrooms for the opening of school on Wednesday August 17th.Behind the right wing of the building there was fresh sewage water running while marabunta wasp nests could be seen on all the window ceilings. The teachers who spoke to SMN News on the condition of anonymity said the classrooms are not in order and they are worried for the safety of their students especially those in cycle one where the most danger lurks. The teachers said the younger students of the Marie Genevieve School face severe health risks since they have to inhale sewage water all day long. Besides the inhalation of sewage which is coming from a private home further up the hill, the students and teacher have to deal with the marabunta wasps that would fly into the classroom to sting them.
The management of the school said they are not in a position to make statements to the media and the only authorized body to comment on the renovations and construction of the upper floor is the department of education.
However, the supervisor for FM Constructions Alexis Bryan said the workers and teachers were busy cleaning the classrooms and school compound for school to reopen on August 17th. Bryan assured that while construction workers will be on the scene for the next few weeks they will work in the best interest of the students. Bryan said they faced a number of setbacks with materials and other matters which kept them back. The construction he said was to be completed some three weeks ago but the setbacks were not their fault.He said the construction company addressed the sewage situation with the pertinent authorities while they also tried to clean up as much as possible but the situation regarding the sewage has not changed. Bryan said when the construction began at the school there were bushes behind the school and the marabunta wasp nests were on the trees and when the trees were cut the insects moved to the ceilings. His advice to the education department is to have the area sprayed to get rid of the wasps once and for all.
Fabian Badejoe from the office of Minister of Education Rhoda Arrindell said the re-opening of Marie Genevieve de Weever School will take place on Wednesday August 17th 2011. Badejoe said that the Minister was scheduled to tour the facility on Tuesday afternoon but she could not due to the heavy rain. Badejoe said he believes the Minister will make her visit on Wednesday morning.
Click here to view photos of the Marie Genevieve de Weever School.