Stakeholders To Decide On Temporary Relocation Of BHS by R. Wilson
Stakeholders involved in the Basseterre High School debacle want to have the staff and students relocated to put an end to the shift system with Washington High School. The Observer understands the BHS Task Force continues to meet with hopes of having the staff and student body into a temporary location for the new school year which begins in September. All stakeholders on the Task Force are in agreement that the shift system of attending classes for half a day is not ideal for anyone involved, including the host school. The already taxed septic system is another issue presenting itself with the sharing of the facility. The school was initially built as a Junior High School for first and second forms with additional classes for those who unable to pass the grade and attend Basseterre High. Now with the two largest high schools with a combined student body of over 1500 sharing one facility, The Observer understands the wear and tear on the septic is a major concern for school management and Ministry of Education officials. The scientific research team from the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) visited the BHS facility last week. The Observer understands no report has been circulated to the Task Force as yet. The school was abandoned in November 2014 after teachers and students were continuously falling ill with similar symptoms. This was after a two-year long battle between the teachers, the Teachers Union, parents, students and the Ministry of Education under former Minister Nigel Carty. Cary had refused to move the staff and students back out when they re-occupied the school in September after it was cleaned and refurbished, only to report a return of the illnesses. So far no local or regional agency has been able to pinpoint the source of the health problems at the school. Last November an arbitration panel, including a representative selected by the Ministry of Education, voted unanimously to immediately vacate the premises and shut the school down. They also called for an investigation by an international health and research agency. As the clock ticks away on the untenable shift system, the Task Force is reportedly looking at two possible locations to erect temporary classrooms. One possible site is the empty private land opposite the Beach Allen Prime School and the other is the premises of the Fort Thomas Hotel. The BHS students will still have to use the labs and specialty rooms at the WAHS even in the event they relocate. Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris and Education Minister Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Shawn have committed to the new government building a new facility for the BHS. From all indications, such a project would cost millions and would unlikely be completed in less than two years. Stakeholders are still reportedly looking for a new permanent site for the new school, as some parents and teachers reportedly indicated they would not want to return to the present location even if it were cleared by health officials.
