Wesley Hall Junior School Classes End Early Due to Teacher Absences, Health Concerns Sparked

Classes at the Wesley Hall Junior School in The City were forced to end at noon on Monday after several teachers called in sick, prompting concerns over potential health hazards at the ageing primary school premises.

According to an official statement from the Ministry of Education, 22 teachers reported ill.

Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) President Rudy Lovell told Barbados TODAY he was unsure if the full staff would return on Tuesday and the union planned to meet affected teachers to determine the best course of action.

According to the ministry’s statement, at 9:15 a.m., Deputy Chief Education Officer Glyne Price received a call from principal of the primary school Herbert Gittens, informing him that 22 members of the teaching staff were out sick.

“However, when contacted at approximately 9:20 a.m., BUT President Rudy Lovell communicated that he was unaware of any grievances among his members at the school. This position was echoed by Dr Christina Morris, Senior Education Officer with responsibility for Primary and Nursery Schools,” it added. “In an effort to avoid disruption to classes, the ministry moved swiftly in an attempt to secure the necessary complement of substitute teachers from the Erdiston Teachers’ Training College.”

That effort was unsuccessful as classes were already suspended for the semester.

School officers from the nursery, primary and secondary sections were deployed to the school to lend support to the teachers present, accompanied by Price and Wanda McClean, Manager Stakeholder Relations. However, by 10:25 a.m., only five of the 32 teachers had reported to work, which the ministry deemed insufficient to effectively manage the students.

“The decision was ultimately taken to allow students to enjoy their usual school meals, which were delivered by 11 a.m., before asking parents and guardians to collect their children and wards at noon,” it added.

Lovell later told Barbados TODAY that the teachers’ grievances about unhealthy conditions at the school were well known to the ministry, suggesting the mass sick-out was an issue long in the making.

He said: “Teachers are frustrated over the conditions at the school; the school is an old school, it’s plagued with mould, rats [and their droppings], cockroaches, wormwood, inadequate bathroom frustrates, and teachers are generally frustrated. This frustration led to teachers falling ill today. I am not sure if they will be sick tomorrow because the conditions may be the same as they were today, but generally, teachers are not well.”

The incident is the latest in mounting concerns over dilapidated infrastructure and unhygienic conditions plaguing some of the nation’s school buildings. (SB)