Opposition MP Sherod Duncan is calling on the Ministry of Education to urgently address security, water, ventilation and other deficiencies at the newly opened Kwebana Secondary School and its dormitory in Region One.
In a statement, Duncan said he visited the school after parents raised concerns about conditions there. He also travelled to Santa Cruz and Warapoka to meet parents whose children attend the school.
According to Duncan, construction was continuing at the facility, much of the compound remained unfenced and there was neither a proper security hut nor an adequate security presence at the entrance.
He said he also observed unfinished drains and stagnant water around the compound. Parents and students complained about interruptions in the water supply, delays in the provision of meals and inadequate supervision in the dormitory, including the absence of a dorm father.
Duncan said one of the most troubling complaints related to the intense heat in the dormitory rooms. A parent and her child reportedly told him that some students had slept on the concrete floor because it was marginally cooler there.
“Students should not be forced to sleep on a concrete floor to find relief from the heat,” Duncan said, adding that the situation was particularly unacceptable at a recently constructed dormitory.
Some parents have removed their children from the dormitory pending improvements, according to the statement. Duncan said this had imposed additional transportation costs on families living considerable distances away and dependent on river travel.
In some cases, he said, the government’s $20,000 transportation grant had already been exhausted as parents repeatedly transported their children between Kwebana and their home communities.
Duncan acknowledged that several changes had been made following his initial public statement about the school. Administrators reportedly informed him that additional cooks had been recruited, meals were being served earlier and another dorm mother had been assigned.
He welcomed those measures but said they did not resolve the wider concerns surrounding security, fencing, ventilation, water, drainage, supervision and construction still taking place on the compound.
The school was constructed through six contracts valued at approximately $2.017 billion and is intended to accommodate more than 600 students. Its facilities reportedly include dormitory accommodation for 250 students and living quarters for 25 teachers.
It is expected to serve children from Kwebana, Santa Cruz, Warapoka, St Bede’s, Chinese Landing, Kokerite, Kariako, Wallaba, Karaburi and other surrounding communities.
Duncan said families were entitled to expect the school and dormitory to be completed, properly staffed and adequately equipped before children were accommodated there.
He called on the Education Ministry and the Region One administration to provide parents with a written timetable for completing the outstanding work. He also requested inspections of the drainage, fire-safety and construction arrangements.
Duncan said the authorities should ensure that the compound is fenced and secured and that students have reliable water, adequate ventilation, nutritious meals and qualified dormitory and support staff.
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