Health and safety crisis in our schools
Exposed live electrical wires, rodents climbing into classrooms, discarded condoms, and play structures that are “an accident waiting to happen”.
These are some of the damning health and safety failings across Bermuda’s public primary schools exposed through the recently released school reorganisation (Score) report.
The Bermuda Government-commissioned report released to the public earlier this month, was designed to set out plans for “improving the quality and consistency of programming across primary schools” with the additional goal of “achieving cost savings and efficiency”.
Guided by 14 “study factor criteria” the report identified four primary schools for possible closure — Heron Bay Primary School, Prospect Primary School, Gilbert Institute and St David’s Primary School. These criteria included safety and accessibility, building condition, school utilisation, classroom capacity and financial resources.
The criteria for each school was scored on a scale of 1 to 5 with five being the best score. Any school scoring under 4 was identified as being “in need of review”.
Each of the island’s 18 primary schools scored less than 4 when with regards to safety and accessibility with 8 scoring below 2.
The lowest scoring schools (a score of 1) in terms of safety, listed as being in need of “immediate attention”, are: Northlands Primary School, Paget Primary School, Prospect, Victor Scott Primary School, West Pembroke, Elliot, Harrington Sound and St David’s Primary Schools.
Testimonials from staff paint a bleak picture at the schools which the Ministry of Education says it aims to address.
Harrington Sound reported: “Play structures in terrible condition. Swings are broken. Triangle is an accident waiting to happen. Some windows are very low; lots of rodents get into the building.”
There were security concerns raised at Paget as “people without permission enter easily”. This is coupled with the fact that school keys have been copied and are “out in the public”.
Victor Scott students must endure “termites and mould all over the school” while Elliot has problems with mould, termites and no water in the upper school bathrooms.
Open electrical pipes and exposed live wires were found at Northlands whose building was described as “not conducive to primary age children”.
Somerset Primary School achieved a slightly higher score of 2 despite reports of condoms and pornographic material found on the school grounds as well as concerns about children suffering asthma due to poor air quality.
Among the considerations drawn up in the report were the need to improve school safety, improve and upgrade facilities and review and address, where identified, school accessibility and delineate how buildings will be maintained to meet 21st-century standards.
With regards to the state of the school buildings, 15 of the 18 schools scored below 4. The report said in its considerations of building conditions: “A plan is to be developed for assessing building conditions and bringing school buildings up to 21st-century standards. Monitoring processes are to be implemented.”
The report also promised to “review the relationship between the Department of Education, the Department of Works and Engineering and other Ministries to ensure accountability and effective protocols for timely building repairs and responsive management”.
Seven schools scored the minimum one point in the safety and accessibility study factor criteria. Here are some of the highlights taken from staff testimonials within the Score report.
Dalton E Tucker:
A “major concern and challenge” cited was that cars and children come in through the same entry making it unsafe. Water drainage is an issue at the school.
Elliot Primary School:
“I’ve been working by myself for three months because the other custodian is out sick.”
“Mould — when opening the school in the morning there is a strong smell of mould in the room across from the custodian office, end room, deputy office and current tech room.”
“Art room has termites in the door and cabinets.”
“No water in the upper school bathrooms — repairs needed to water pump.”
“Walkway in the lower block needs to be closed off due to drainage problems when it rains.”
“There are some issues with mould … my eyes were stinging. “
Harrington Sound:
“Play structures in terrible condition. Swings are broken. Triangle is an accident waiting to happen. We don’t have a hard surface area. Some windows are very low; lots of rodents get into the building.”
Northlands Primary:
“There are some safety and health concerns with open electrical pipes and exposed live wires. The building is not ‘developmentally appropriate’ for primary aged students who moved to the school from Dellwood.”
“This facility is not safe for little children. The hard surfaces are dangerous.”
“The crossing lights need to be repaired, been out of service for over a year.”
Paget Primary:
“A major area of concern is the security of the school.” “People without permission enter easily.”
“Classrooms have some structural issues and are leaking and mouldy.”
“There is an issue of having keys copied in the past and are out in the public.”
St David’s Primary:
“Bathrooms definitely need upgrading.”
Leaking rooms.
Victor Scott:
“Termites and mould all over the school.”
“Custodian has a rodent/vermin problem.”
