The Ministry of Education was forced to put a halt to the classes at A F Adderley in a bid to allow for the continuation of construction at the school. Additionally, only two grades at NGM Major High School on Long Island were meeting because of ongoing construction.
Director of Communications at the Ministry of Education, Heloise Newbold, confirmed yesterday that classes at A F Adderley would resume on Monday for the 1,200 students, but teachers would continue to report to school.
“The school is closed for three days,” Ms Newbold told the Nassau Guardian. “We are continuing to work and teachers were finding it a bit cumbersome with the conditions around the school with the work going on. We didn’t feel it was conducive to learning or teaching so that is why we decided to close.”
On Tuesday, teachers walked out of their classrooms in protest of the conditions they were required to work under.
When the Guardian arrived at the school yesterday some teachers were busy hanging posters and other materials that would assist the students in their school work, while others appeared to be going over their lesson plans.
Meanwhile, scores of young men were operating heavy-duty machinery and carrying out repair work. Three piles of quarry lay sprawled across the yard. Desks and chairs were piled high in the gymnasium. And the principal’s office now occupies a room in that building.
According to a school official, the area is too “dangerous” to have the students on the campus. “You have heavy tractors moving dirt and it’s just not a healthy situation to have the children in this kind of environment,” the source said. “The school has about 1,200 kids and counting, so could you imagine them in this environment – the safety factor? Work-men over there, the heavy loaders and big trucks driving up and down, it’s not a good situation,” she insisted. Another teacher applauded the Ministry of Education for taking such a stance, but felt the government had had sufficient time over the summer break to have the repairs completed. She said that because of the late repairs, teachers were not given the opportunity to prepare their classes. Over in Long Island at NGM Major, only the 9th and 12th graders have been attending classes. Reportedly, all other students will return to school on Monday. School Principal Machon Cartwright confirmed that the ongoing construction is to blame. He also admitted that even when the entire 190-student body shows up on Monday, work would still not be completed.
According to reports, the lack of supplies is playing a major role in the delay.
Weighing in on the situation, the Free National Movement said the proper education of thousands of Bahamian children is in “grave jeopardy.” It charged that because of the government’s “ineptitude, delay, neglect and lack of vision and planning,” the education of Bahamian children is being “severely disrupted. In previous years the criticism and the excuse was that the Minister with responsibility for Education also held down the job as Attorney General, and so his time and attention were divided. Yet this school year when the minister has only responsibility for education, conditions are infinitely worse than they have ever been,” the official Opposition said.
The party said it was deeply disturbed by reports that trailers which are used as classrooms are not solidly grounded and do not afford easy access for teachers, especially females. However, the Guardian was unable to confirm this.
By: Keva Lightbourne, The Nassau Guardian
