Sanitary Conveniences in Schools Being Given Priority – Senator Monteith

State Minister for Education and Youth, Senator Noel Monteith has said that priority attention is being given to sanitary conveniences in schools across the island.
Addressing the Senate yesterday (March 22), he said that “especially since we started the transformation of the education system, we have done critical repairs to some 270 odd schools and we have identified 300 schools to which repairs are to be done”.
The State Minister was responding to concerns raised by Opposition Senator, Anthony Johnson regarding the status of sanitary conditions in schools.
Senator Johnson said that there were situations where the girls’ facilities were not sufficiently separate enough from that of the boys’, and that in some instances, there was insufficient privacy.
In his response Senator Monteith explained that regional offices were given a sum that was sufficient to address minor matters such as door replacements, therefore, “if we should find a school where the door is off, the principal, board and the regional offices would have to give an account as to why this is, because we treat this matter very seriously”.
Meanwhile, he added that a plan was being developed to address other issues, such as pit latrines. Also, he noted, “We have identified where there is water and where there is no water and where we have to depend on rainfall and tanks.so we have a plan to fix all these and make flush toilets in the schools especially in the schools where water is available”.