Asbestos clean-up closes Chaguanas school

Asbestos material has forced the closure of the Chaguanas Senior Comprehensive School today, the re-opening of school  after the Easter holidays.

For the past two weeks, employees from the Ministry of Works have been removing asbestos from various parts of the school building. The material, which is believed to be hazardous to people in constant contact with it, have been used in the construction of several schools throughout Trinidad and Tobago. Asbestos was used particularly in the construction of those secondary schools built over the past eight years, particularly in the construction of the auditorium.

Two years ago, Government began removing the asbestos from some of the schools. At the Chaguanas Senior Comprehensive School, work began during the Easter vacation and was completed. All of the material in areas which students often come into contact with were removed. But yesterday, the Ministry of Education informed the school’s principal and management that it needed final clearance to ensure all was safe before there can be a resumption of classes. The Environmental Agency has to be satisfied that the job of removing the material was complete in accordance with certain standards. It is not known when classes will resume, but the ministry said teachers and parents will be informed of such sometime later this week. The school has a roll of over 1,800 students.