Concerned parents have threatened to “close down” the Ann’s Grove Secondary School next week if immediate action is not taken by the relevant authorities to address the state of the school which they say is unfit for their children.
“We gon close the school down if repairs not done,” said Samantha, a concerned parent who spoke with Stabroek News yesterday. She added that the school which was built in 1919 is unfit for children due to its many defects.
While bemoaning the condition of the school, she said the Parent Teachers Association (PTA) raised $90,000 to upgrade the school compound so that students could have a recreational area. She said that as soon as this was done, construction started on a computer lab in the compound, taking away whatever space they had. “What happen to our money?” she asked of the $70,000 which was spent on buying sand.
Treasurer of the PTA Vernon Pompey said that so far no official has visited the school to determine its condition since their protest on Monday. The protest, which was initially planned for today has been postponed because of the school’s sports. He too highlighted the concerns of the association with the greatest being that a student or teacher could be injured at the school and called on the relevant authorities to take the matter seriously. He informed that the Methodist Church, on whose land the building sits, has served notice that it wishes to repossess the land. Pompey said he was unsure what would be done or where the school could possibly be relocated.
Meanwhile Tessa Nedd, a senior teacher, said the major problem facing the
school was the lack of space. Currently, the school has 590 students enrolled while the optimum number is between 250 and 300 students. While classroom space is crammed, space for recreational activities is also lacking. Students were seen hanging-out on the street while others resorted to passing their time on the staircases.
The school’s two staircases are a source of constant worry for staff since they are rotten and shaky and it is the fear that they can collapse at anytime. Parents had to replace a beam on one of them to act as reinforcement. The use of the two other staircases has had to be restricted.
The furniture at the school is also limited and in poor condition. Some classes have desks and benches, which several of them have to share. Nedd added that even if furniture is provided, the problem of space would still exist.
Several windows are broken or missing, which poses a problem when it rains. When it does, children are forced to move from the affected area thereby creating further congestion.
Teachers also suffer. There is no staff room thereby forcing them to eat at their desks, which in themselves are inadequate. With no place to sit comfortably, they are forced to stand on the stairs or find whatever space they can. Their desks and chairs are no better. Some teachers do not have chairs while some have resorted to using whatever they can find.
At the bushy rear of the building, there are several latrines which are no longer in use. Nedd said that when it rains, the water overflows and worms are noticeable in the area. She opined that these can be removed and the spaces filled.
Meanwhile, in the compound, workmen continue to build a computer lab. While Nedd acknowledged that this was a good initiative, she questioned the timing. She is of the opinion that the money spent on the construction could have been used on the much-needed repairs at various parts of the school.
“The school has outlived it time,” said Nedd. She expressed hope that something will be done soon to improve the conditions, which affect both students and teachers.
