Education Officials Meet With Cayon High Staff To Discuss Air Quality Test Results

September 09, 2019 in National

The Cayon High School remained closed Monday morning as Ministry of Education officials met with the staff to discuss the results of recent air quality test results.

The nation’s student population returned to classrooms for the new school year one week ago, however the opening of Cayon High was delayed over health concerns.

Teachers had complained about the presence of mold which had reportedly started affecting the health of several of the educators. In the week leading up to the scheduled opening of school some of the teachers refused to enter the facility until they were informed of the air quality test results indicating the environment was safe.

Minister of Education, Deputy Prime Minister Shawn Richards said the Ministry had been addressing this matter over the the last two to three months and various levels of work had been done including extensive cleaning.

He said the Bureau of Standards had been engaged and had conducted testing in the Science Labs, which confirmed that mold was present there but that the levels found were not significantly high. The Science labs were cleaned, cupboards removed and the labs were subsequently retested.

Those tests were sent overseas for analysis however the results were delayed last week due to the passage of hurricane Dorian.

Deputy Prime Minister Richards confirmed the meeting with the staff Monday morning, telling Freedom FM that he could not comment on the results until they had been discussed with the relevant stakeholders.