St Lawrence Primary School is going to be closed until the South Coast sewage crisis is solved.
Word of this comes from Ministry of Education officials who yesterday revealed plans to move 210 pupils to the St Matthias and St Lawrence Anglican churches were in the works.
The development came as raw sewage continued to spill across the street on sections of Highway 7 in Christ Church, with Barbadians and visitors, motorists and pedestrians having to manoeuvre through the foul-smelling liquid.
When Chief Education Officer Karen Best was asked how long the students would be relocated, she responded: “You would have to speak to the personnel from the Ministry of Health and the Barbados Water Authority. I am only the Chief Education Officer so I would not know how to answer that question.
“But as long as it takes for the situation to be rectified, the Class 4 students are going to be housed at the Arthur Smith Primary School,” she added.
Best spoke to the DAILY NATION yesterday morning after 26 Class 4 students were settled in at the Hastings, Christ Church school. St Lawrence Primary was officially closed on Saturday as environmental problems stemming from the South Coast sewage crisis disrupted classes.
Teachers walked off the job two weeks ago after being overwhelmed by the stench which has seen Chicken Barn and the Worthing Post Office closing, and multiple businesses losing revenue.
Best said the students were promptly moved due to their looming Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination (11-Plus) and both parents and students understood the need for the relocation.
Meanwhile, St Lawrence Primary principal Andrea Cheltenham said they would do whatever it took to ensure a smooth transition.
Parliamentary Secretary in the ministry, Senator Harry Husbands, also said there was no timeline as to how long the students would be displaced by the sewage woes.
“This is a most unfortunate situation, but the staff at the ministry has responded well to put in place contingency plans,” he said.
“We are not sure how long it is going to continue, but as the principal says and the Chief says, the focus is on getting these children back to school and their education, and whatever is necessary to do that we are prepared to do that,” he added.
As those students settled in, officials from the ministry also made site visits to two other locations.
Following those inspections, Best said the Class 1, 2 and 3 students would housed at the 168-year-old St Matthias Anglican Church which was renovated in 2003. Students from nursery, reception, Infants A and B would be placed at the St Lawrence Church, approximately 200 metres away from the now closed school. (AD)
