BAT INVASION
PESTS PLAGUE SCHOOL; MINISTRY ‘MOVING TO CLEAN UP’
Environmental concerns loomed at yet another public school on Tuesday, prompting the Ministry of Education to assure teachers it was moving swiftly to fix the problems.
Barbados TODAY has learned that a large tree at the Grantley Prescod Memorial Primary, St Barnabas Heights, has become a haven for bats, with sightings of bat droppings throughout the campus, built in the 1950s by the former colonial government as the former Pine Primary.
In a statement, the ministry’s director of the Education Technical Management Unit, Francisco Miller, said the problem would be addressed during mid-term break, which begins Thursday.
“Arrangements have been made to trim the tree to eliminate the fruit that is attracting the bats. This will be done on Thursday during the midterm break,” the statement said.
“On Friday the school will be power washed to remove the stains left by the bats. The ministry has reached out to the Planning and Development Department on having the tree removed. The [ministry] spoke with the Planning and Development Department [Tuesday] and an application will be submitted to them [Wednesday].”
On Tuesday, following a visit to the school, Barbados Union of Teachers vice president Julian Pierre, who chairs the union’s health and safety committee, said that the issue was initially reported last week but a permanent solution had to be implemented.
Pierre told Barbados TODAY: “The staff did complain of some issues regarding the bats in the tree in the middle of the courtyard. Now the ministry was swift to respond to the issue of the bat droppings, and they did do some cleaning. However, the teachers said, within 24 to 48 hours afterward, they returned.
“The two issues that were identified possibly are the trimming of the tree but since it provides shade, you wouldn’t like to lose the shade. Also, there was some construction at the school in which one of the lights that teachers said deterred the bats from coming close to the building was moved. So they believe that possibly moving the light back across or putting additional lighting on the administration block would deter the bats.
“So the ministry did a cleaning previously last week, but another cleaning is definitely due.”
Droppings were found at the side of the administration building, on the windows, the corridors, the driveway and on the roof of the guard hut, said Pierre.
Staff and students had to walk by the odourous droppings as they moved across the school, he added.
Pierre said he was satisfied by the ministry’s initial response and looked forward to seeing the issue dealt with thoroughly. sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb
Barbados TODAY has learned that a large tree at the Grantley Prescod Memorial Primary, St Barnabas Heights, has become a haven for bats, with sightings of bat droppings throughout the campus, built in the 1950s by the former colonial government as the former Pine Primary.
In a statement, the ministry’s director of the Education Technical Management Unit, Francisco Miller, said the problem would be addressed during mid-term break, which begins Thursday.
“Arrangements have been made to trim the tree to eliminate the fruit that is attracting the bats. This will be done on Thursday during the midterm break,” the statement said.
“On Friday the school will be power washed to remove the stains left by the bats. The ministry has reached out to the Planning and Development Department on having the tree removed. The [ministry] spoke with the Planning and Development Department [Tuesday] and an application will be submitted to them [Wednesday].”
On Tuesday, following a visit to the school, Barbados Union of Teachers vice president Julian Pierre, who chairs the union’s health and safety committee, said that the issue was initially reported last week but a permanent solution had to be implemented.
Pierre told Barbados TODAY: “The staff did complain of some issues regarding the bats in the tree in the middle of the courtyard. Now the ministry was swift to respond to the issue of the bat droppings, and they did do some cleaning. However, the teachers said, within 24 to 48 hours afterward, they returned.
“The two issues that were identified possibly are the trimming of the tree but since it provides shade, you wouldn’t like to lose the shade. Also, there was some construction at the school in which one of the lights that teachers said deterred the bats from coming close to the building was moved. So they believe that possibly moving the light back across or putting additional lighting on the administration block would deter the bats.
“So the ministry did a cleaning previously last week, but another cleaning is definitely due.”
Droppings were found at the side of the administration building, on the windows, the corridors, the driveway and on the roof of the guard hut, said Pierre.
Staff and students had to walk by the odourous droppings as they moved across the school, he added.
Pierre said he was satisfied by the ministry’s initial response and looked forward to seeing the issue dealt with thoroughly. sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb