AFC laments pit latrines at Phillipai Primary School; new toilet block approved months ago – Manickchand

Last Updated on Tuesday, 20 August 2024, 8:15 by Writer

The Alliance For Change (AFC) has roasted government for having pit latrines at the Phillipai Primary School, Upper Mazaruni, Region 7 (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), for the more 200 students there, but Education Minister Priya Manickchand on Monday said that construction plans for new facilities were set to start.

AFC Leader Nigel Hughes described the primary and nursery school building as “modern” but said “the only sanitary facility is an outdoor pit latrine in 2024.” “We have nursery school children who are using a pit latrine and to make it worse, the pit latrine is located outside of the school compound,” he told a public meeting at the Mackenzie Market car park on Sunday.

There is a wooden structure, apparently with three toilets and sinks, but with no doors in the Phillipai Primary School yard. Demerara Waves Online News was told that students do not use them. Region Seven Councillor Tamika Beharry showcased architectural drawings of the new sanitary block.

The Education Minister told Demerara Waves Online News that the Region Seven administration, at its request, received the money since June, 2024 to build the 10-washroom block, drew the design and requested bids. She said Mr Hughes either genuinely did not know about the developments or he was mislead.

Due to the regionalised administration of the education sector, the Education Minister was also unaware about the Region Seven Chairman’s claim that the Ministry of Education did not approve the construction of the toilet facilities for the budgeted GY$10 million. She could not say whether government had refused an offer by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to build the sanitary block there.

Mr Hughes said the school’s 391 students use six pit latrines, causing the community to run out of space to build new facilities. “Because of the number of students that use the pit latrine, they have to keep moving the pit latrine because it full up. Do you understand in 2024 under the presidency of Mr Ali, our kindergarten and nursery students- their parents have to go and move the pit latrine because it full up and the parents complain that they are concerned because they move it so much, they are running out of space to dig a hole for the next pit latrine?” he said.