The Ministry of Education yesterday rejected social media claims about the condition of washroom facilities at the Mahdia Primary School, saying the toilets shown in circulated photographs were old, secured and no longer in use.
In a statement, the ministry alleged that a parent broke the locks on the two facilities before taking and posting the photographs. It said the images created the false impression that pupils were still using those toilets.
The ministry said the school has a newly rehabilitated block containing eight washrooms, which was completed under its Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) initiative and is available to pupils and staff.
It described the circulation of the photographs as misleading and said outdated facilities should not be used to misrepresent the conditions under which children are being educated.
While acknowledging the role of parents, public officials and citizens in identifying deficiencies in the education system, the ministry urged persons with complaints to use its established reporting channels so that concerns could be investigated.
It said legitimate scrutiny was welcomed but contended that incomplete information posted first on social media could cause unnecessary alarm and undermine efforts to resolve problems.
The statement did not identify the parent accused of breaking the locks or say whether the incident had been reported to the police or any other authority.
The ministry also did not state when the eight washrooms were rehabilitated or whether the old toilet facilities would be demolished or otherwise removed from the school compound.
Education Minister Sonia Parag, speaking on the matter in a Facebook video, accused opposition figures of misrepresenting the conditions at the school.
She said photographs circulated of the school’s older toilets did not show a newly constructed sanitary block containing eight washrooms with new toilets for students. According to Parag, the older facilities had been closed and locked, but a parent broke the locks and photographed them, creating the impression that they remained in use. The minister maintained that the images did not accurately reflect the facilities available to students.
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