Specialist to look at mould; teachers and public board reach agreement

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Specialist to look at mould; teachers and public board reach

agreement

Chatham Daily News - Chatham,Ontario,Canada*

JACK POIRIER / Osprey News Network; Sarnia Observer

Local News - Friday, August 31, 2007

http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?

contentid=675870 & catname=Local+News & classif=

Elementary school teachers and school board officials have come to

an agreement on long-standing mould issues.

After months of public dispute, the Elementary Teachers' Federation

of Ontario and the Lambton Kent District School Board will allow Dr.

Om Malik, a highly regarded specialist in the field of environmental

science, to assess conditions within the board's schools.

After the union claimed that the board had been denying serious

mould concerns within the schools, federation president Clegg

said he is happy the long process is finally resolved.

" In the spring we felt confident there were significant mould issues

with at least 30 schools, " he said. " This resolution is in the best

interest of everybody. "

At the heart of the dispute was the right to have a federation-

approved specialist to assess the mould issues within the schools.

The federation was not satisfied with the qualifications of the

board-approved contractors.

Clegg said Dr. Malik comes highly recommended.

" This decision will lay our concerns to rest, " Clegg said.

Malik has already begun testing several schools.

Board chair Jane Bryce said both union officials and the board are

quite happy to be moving forward, in the best interest of the staff

and students.

Still, mould will always be an issue, she said.

" The work will always be ongoing. We live in an area where we can't

get away from (mould), " she said.

There is still extensive work to be completed at Tecumseh school in

Chatham-Kent, as well as at High Park in Sarnia, she said.

Other priority schools include Lansdowne, Central, Rosedale

and Queen II (Petrolia) in Lambton County and Tilbury Area

and Ridgetown Public in Chatham-Kent.