San Fernando Boys Government students sent home

The reason for the school’s early dismissal remained unclear as parents gave differing accounts as to why they had been asked to collect their children with one parent stating he had been informed by text message about a rodent infestation at the school.

“The reason why I came to pick up my son today is because I get a text that there is a rat infestation and a cockroach problem in the school and until they don’t sort it out, the Ministry, the teachers wouldn’t be coming back,” the parent said after picking up his son who is in standard three.

Another parent who was picking up seven students said she had been informed that there was no water.

An education ministry official said classes had been dismissed around lunch time to give parents enough time to collect their children.

The official said there were several issues at the school including a need for repairs to be carried out and a “pigeon problem” for which the principal had contacted an exterminator to deal with.

“In the short term, the city corporation would be working to sanitise and clean the school so that the EFCL would be able to effect repairs in the shortest possible time.”