President of the Bahamas Union Of Teachers (BUT), Belinda Wilson is publicly voicing concern about conditions at the CV Bethel Senior High School after a list of issues was submitted to the Principal recently by teachers at the school.

Wilson spoke to ZNS News on Monday listing some of the issues.  She said, “hot classrooms, overcrowded classrooms, restrooms that are inoperable for the boys and girls, termite infestation, also an odor which emanates from decayed rodents. So the teachers, today, at CV Bethel held a meeting because the Principal never responded in a timely manner to the concerns that were given to her in writing.   So they invoked their right not to work in an unhealthy and unsafe environment.”

When contacted for a response, Acting Director of Education, Dominique McCartney- Russell said a team was sent to the school to address the issues over the weekend.  “We were advised, for example, that there was a plumbing and there was some electrical concerns in two of the room, that was addressed.  We were also advised that there was a rat infestation in one of the blocks and so we would have sent an exterminator, we called them in to deal with that.  We were also advised that there were some A/C units that either were not serviced or needed cleaning and some were not working.  We would have addressed those.  We were also advised that some of the window operators were not functioning and so we addressed those as well.  We were also able to address the need to fix a door in the security booth, the need for the contractors to put back furniture that they would have moved.  They were heavy cupboards and furniture and they were not put back and so we asked the contractors to address those and those would have been addressed.”

In addition to the matters that have been resolved, McCartney-Russell said the Ministry is assiduously seeking to resolve any matters that are outstanding.