ASSOCIATIONS representing both parents and teachers, that had raised concerns over environmental issues at the Louis Lynch School, are happy that some closure has been brought to the issue by Prime Minister David Thompson.

During the recent May Day celebrations, Thompson said his Cabinet was bringing the matter to closure and it was planning a database of chemicals used at laundries and a regime for control of potentially dangerous chemicals in schools and elsewhere.

Periodic monitoring of the air quality in the area will also be done. In addition, a health survey and a registry to collect medical data on the illness trends among those who worked at Louis Lynch School and the environs will be established.

President of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT), Karen Best, said her union was in full agreement with the Government's position. She said some of the issues spoken about were recommendations which the BUT agreed on since last year, and so too did members of the task force set up to look into the environmental problems at the Louis Lynch School.

President of the National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations, Phil Perry, said the decision was a long time in coming and he was glad to see that steps were being taken to determine what was wrong.

"A final decision of the school is imperative . . . . It is a decision we welcome," he said.

Perry suggested that if the Government was looking to build new secondary schools and perhaps to replace Louis Lynch, it should be done in an open space in the country as contamination would be less likely.

The Louis Lynch Secondary school at Whitepark Road, St Michael, was the centre of controversy after both teachers and students complained about various ailments which they attributed to environmental issues at the facility. (WB)