By Kisean Joseph

The ongoing teacher sit-in at Pares Secondary School entered its second day yesterday with Principal Letitia Lawrence acknowledging the disruption while emphasizing efforts to maintain student engagement during the industrial action.

“When things go outside of the normal flow, it makes students a bit uncomfortable and disoriented,” Principal Lawrence explained. Despite the disruption affecting the school’s 185 students, she noted that attendance has remained steady, with staff finding creative ways to keep students occupied, such as engaging in music activities.

The 53-year-old institution faces multiple infrastructure challenges, with security being a primary concern. Two years ago, construction began on a perimeter fence, however, the project remains incomplete. “The fence was void of gates to secure the compound completely,” Lawrence said. “We’re advocating for all gates to be fixed and all breaches in the fence repaired to ensure controlled access to the premises.”

According to Lawrence, work is already underway to address these issues. The main entrance gate has been installed, and additional gate installations are in progress, and the school’s administration expects the campus to be fully secured within two weeks.

Ground maintenance presents another significant challenge. The schoolyard and perimeter areas have become overgrown with trees and shrubbery over the past two years. Lawrence attributed this to the effects of frequent rainfall, and insufficient manpower. Despite these factors, clean-up efforts are expected to be completed within a week.

The school also faces a serious bat infestation, which Lawrence acknowledged requires “a different level of intervention”. While contractors have begun applying foam to block access points, the building’s structural characteristics make complete elimination challenging.

“The Board of Education is working to ensure this issue can be remedied expeditiously,” she said.

Despite these challenges, Lawrence emphasised that the Ministry of Education is actively collaborating with the school to resume regular instructions quickly. She acknowledged that while some issues can be resolved shortly, others will require more time and detailed action plans.

The 41 teachers participating in the sit-in have maintained their position that they will continue until their concerns receive appropriate attention. However, the principal noted that the atmosphere remains relatively calm, with students showing understanding of the situation after having it explained to them.

“The children understand the importance of why certain actions take place,” Lawrence said. “This understanding helps lessen the burden of the experience generally.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education said it is continuing to work with school officials to address the various infrastructure and safety concerns, with some improvements already visible and others scheduled for completion in the coming weeks.