Fleas force closure of Malabar Secondary after teachers refuse to work

Lead Editor – Newsgathering

kejan.haynes@guardian.co.tt

End-of-term exams at Malabar Secondary were postponed yesterday after teachers refused to work amidst conflicting reports of a flea infestation on the school’s compound.

While teachers and students have written reports about being bitten by the fleas, officials said when they go to investigate, there are no signs of them.

When Guardian Media visited around 11 yesterday morning, classes were dismissed, students had been sent home and some teachers had already left.

The school’s principal declined to speak and directed us to the Ministry of Education.

The issue was first noticed last week Monday. The principal, with MTS staff, initially sprayed the compound, but the problem persisted.

The Arima Borough Corporation was then called in to spray, but teachers and students complained that the problem continued.

However, a teacher, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said students sat down to write exams at the start of the school day yesterday when they began complaining again.

“I was there, so they were licking people down, biting people,” the teacher explained. “A couple of students and teachers wrote reports saying they were bitten.”

TTUTA first vice president Adesh Dwarika confirmed the incident, saying the union gave the Ministry of Education a “refusal to work” order.

“The school was sprayed on the 21st November with ‘Regent 500 (Insecticide),’” Dwarika said. “Fleas are still present, parents came and took their children and the staff did a refusal to work today.”

Guardian Media understands a private extermination company was contacted to remove stray animals, cats mostly, but also dogs, suspected to be the source of the fleas. However, the company failed to show.

Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly said she was aware of the situation at the school.

She explained in a statement, “On 18th November, the issue of fleas was reported. The school was sprayed on the 19th November and again on the 21st November. The possible source was identified as cats present on the compound, which the principal has contracted a private company to remove.”

She added, “Officials from the School Supervision Department and the Facilities Department visited the school and reported seeing no fleas. Therefore the school will operate as normal tomorrow, and we will continue to monitor the flea situation.”

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