Union official speaks out on Bartlett Hill Primary

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Union official speaks out on Bartlett Hill Primary

By ANGELO ARMBRISTER

Freeport News Reporter, Bahamas

http://freeport.nassauguardian.net/national_local/290469950747064.php

Following concerns ex-pressed by parents and staff of the Bartlett

Hill Primary School about leaks in a number of classrooms, union

officials from the Bahamas Public Service Union (BPSU) are calling

on the government to condemn the present building and construct a

new school.

BPSU President Curtis said that the Union is of the firm view

that Bartlett Hill Primary has lived out its life span of 25 years,

and now calls on the government to " demolish the leaky, mould and

mildew infested building and to build a new primary school for the

pre and primary school students of Bartlett Hill in the Eight Mile

Rock community. "

Curtis explained that the union was contacted by some of its members

requesting that the union visit the school to see first hand the

conditions there.

On Tuesday, Curtis said that he personally visited the school where

he met with Superintendent Edgecombe and the principal of

that school Patson Neely prior to a tour of the campus with the vice

principal and janitorial staff.

After the tour, Curtis said that the Union determined that the

complaints of the janitorial staff were valid.

These complaints included a shortage of janitorial staff, the

deteriorating condition of the school, the working conditions

generally faced by the janitorial staff, the leaky roof and exposure

of electrical wiring to water whenever it rains and the appearance

of mould and mildew.

" The Union observed that indeed there are in every classroom and in

almost every square foot, watermarks from the rain and also that

many areas there was electrical wiring exposed to the rain, " he

said.

" The Union was also able to see the poor condition of the windows

and doors at the school that allowed the elements of rain and debris

to be able to just flow into the school.

" The Union was also satisfied that indeed there is what appeared to

be mould and mildew on the roof and areas where the rain and due

elements enter the building over a period of time. "

The BPSU President explained that the latest incident reported by

union members was on Monday, when they described having to manually

wring mops and remove five gallon buckets of water from the

classrooms, auditorium and other areas during the rainstorm that

day.

" The Union is satisfied that no repairs were carried out at the

school prior to the opening of the 2007/2008 school year, other than

a cosmetic paint job, " he said adding that these conditions present

a great disadvantage to the students, who are being exposed to the

above mentioned conditions.

" The Union calls for the Minister of Education to really tour the

school in its present condition and see for himself if he would

allow any of his children to be subjected to the conditions found, "

he said.

" It is inconceivable that the prisoners at Fox Hill Prison and at

the detention centre are better off in terms of their safety from

the elements of rainy weather than our children at that school. "

He also called on the Ministry of Education to hire the required

amount of janitorial staff for not only Bartlett Hill School but for

all the schools in Grand Bahama.