WHY DID WALL COLLAPSE?

The Ministry of Education, even as it conducts an investigation into the collapse of an eight-foot wall at the eastern end of the compound of the St Michael’s Anglican School in Princes Town, should seek to determine whether the ministry’s technical advisers had given final approval for the constructed wall. In addition, whether the near tragedy could have been averted. The five pupils of the school who were injured when the wall collapsed, as some schoolchildren were reportedly leaning against it, could have been hurt seriously, or worse. The collapse of a wall could be triggered by any of several factors. The bricks may not have been tied in properly; the foundation on which the wall was built and the wall itself may not have been reinforced by iron rods, or the foundation may have been weakened by water.

A photograph in yesterday’s Newsday suggests that the section of the wall which collapsed had been built on a foundation or retaining wall, with a large number of the bricks being decorative. What is puzzling is that some of the columns which should have further strengthened the wall appear to have collapsed. We ask these questions: Given the location of the affected portion of the wall, were these columns not bolstered by iron rods, and were there not enough weeping holes in the foundation wall, which would have prevented a build-up of water in the land it retained? Or was the number of weeping holes insufficient, thus leading to a build-up of pressure on, and weakening of the entire wall? Or was it that the plastering of the bricks resting on the top of the foundation wall inadequate? Who will answer these questions?

The standard procedure in the construction of denominational schools is that the particular denomination, is required to provide one-third of the cost of construction, while the Government meets two-thirds of the cost. Funding for construction of Government schools,  is met wholly by the State. But it is not enough for Government to provide the major cost of building new denominational schools. The Ministry of Education and/or the Ministry of Works must be satisfied on a stage by stage basis that construction, including that of perimeter walls, where this had been part of the package, had been within approved specifications. Given the nature of the wall at St Michael’s School, it appears that because of the height of the school’s land from the level of the public road running alongside it, that in the interest of safety and prudence the wall may have been built at the same time as the school.

But whether or not this was so, along with who funded it, wholly or in part, the issue is that the wall collapsed under the mere pressure of a few 11 and 12-year-old pupils leaning against it. It appears inconceivable that no one noticed that somehow or the other, the integrity of the wall had been compromised. It is a scandal that a wall which should have been constructed according to specifications, should have collapsed in this manner. Had there been vehicular traffic in the vicinity of the wall when it (the school wall) collapsed then one or more of the schoolchildren injured in the incident could have been killed, or persons in passing vehicles seriously hurt. Does anyone carry out checks on school buildings? That might be a silly question bearing in mind the fact that we don’t even check fire hydrants in the city — unless of course a fire breaks out and we find them empty.