00:00We don't want no rats, no snake.
00:05Parents of students attending Presell Secondary School took it upon themselves to vent their
00:09concerns through a demonstration, highlighting those and other concerns in classrooms at
00:14the school and saying that the environment is not conducive to learning.
00:19A parent, Mary Mokwan Mohamed, states that the pest problems began after the start of
00:24the new academic year in September.
00:25And there was visible signs of rodent droppings, bat droppings, snake droppings, small insects.
00:34The furniture is in a deplorable condition.
00:37President of the Parent Teacher Association at the school, Chris Balcaransingh, says the
00:42Kuva Tabakital Pararegional Corporation assisted by initially providing rat poison for the
00:47areas where the droppings were seen.
00:50However, at present, he tells us debate has been placed about the entire school.
00:54Apart from the rat infestation, simultaneously with that, we had a classroom where the ceiling
01:01literally, part of the ceiling literally fell off and that class was closed off, right?
01:08Then we have approximately three classes where the ceiling is hanging, right?
01:16Coming loose and hanging.
01:18We also have electrical outlets within classrooms that are exposed, no covering, nothing.
01:27He also states that there are mosquitoes at the school as water is collecting in certain
01:32areas.
01:33According to the PTA president, a few children have fallen ill suffering from similar symptoms,
01:38including fever, body pains, diarrhea and vomiting.
01:41He admits, however, that they have no confirmed cases of leptospirosis, but claims that a
01:46test has been recommended for a child who fell ill and suffers from leukemia.
01:52Balcaransingh says the school was closed on Friday and will not reopen on Monday, but
01:56the PTA has not been given a reason for this.
01:59Many parents are reportedly keeping their children at home.
02:02The handful of students that were going out of school were basically not being given any
02:10set of rules because classes were basically empty.
02:13Basically what we are asking for is quick and speedy, but comprehensive assistance from
02:23either the Ministry of Education, the OSH Authority or anybody of society that can deal
02:29with correcting the major issues that exist at this time.
02:33Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
Comments