BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS– February 18th 2017 – The Administrative Office and Staff Room at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC) have been abandoned.
A statement from the CFBC Board of Governors on Saturday said the Board and the Administration have been made aware of a foul odour in the Administrative Office and Staff Room that appears to be affecting some persons.
It was on Wednesday of this week that the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher 3 (West Basseterre), Hon. Konris Maynard informed the Nation that a serious mould problem exists at the CFBC and several employees were on sick leave.
The Board which met in an emergency session on Friday following Mr. Maynard’s disclosure, in a statement on Saturday that it is “very concerned about these reported developments particularly because we are mindful of the importance of our staff’s health and we remain committed to providing a safe environment in which our staff ought to work.
The statement said recognizing the value of its Faculty and Staff, the Board of Directors at its meeting on Friday, approved several measures to identify and effectively address the source of these environmental issues.
“These measures include but are not limited to air quality testing and investigations currently being undertaken by the Ministry of Health and the Bureau of Standards as well as the temporary location of the persons from the affected areas.
On Wednesday MP Maynard told listeners that a new roof which was constructed to cover the existing roof last year is causing serious health problems for the students, faculty and administrative staff resulting in several persons placed on extended leave by their doctors.
“The situation is real,” he told listeners to Freedom 102.5 and Kyss 102.5 FM.
Thursday news circulated that all of the secretaries at CFBC were on sick leave.
“Will the Team Unity Government close down the CFBC like it did the BHS,: asked MP Maynard.
That question is related to Team Unity demonstrations with the support of the school management that the BHS was contaminated and teachers and students were getting sick.
The Timothy Harris-led Team Unity Government played politics with the BHS issue before it took office and subsequently rejecting all the reports from local scientists, the Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI), also based in Trinidad and the Washington-based National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which recommended that the buildings could be inhabited after remedial works are completed.
Although the reports were rejected, the Harris PLP/CCM/PAM Government still removed three buildings from the original site and is using them as classrooms and to house the principal’s office at Taylors.
Desk, chairs, tables and air condition units were also removed and installed at the temporary BHS facility as well, as he Verchild’s High School and other schools.
Students are housed in several areas and use facilities at the Washington Archibald High School, the Beach-Allen Primary School, AVEC, Seventeen Degrees and upstairs Premiere Dental.
