Solution to school’s asbestos problem

In April we reported on the health risks to students and teachers at Saint Peter Claver Primary in Punta Gorda caused by the asbestos roofing that was disintegrating over them.  The problem was so grave, that the furniture inside the age-old building would be layered with dust from the cancerous chemical within a half day.  A solution seemed nowhere in sight, except for a temporary fix of some wooden classrooms that were at Holy Ghost School in the Stann Creek District.  Five months later at the start of another school year, while those classroom buildings have been transferred to Saint Peter Claver and the students and teachers are no longer subjected to the hazardous chemical, they are still a far cry from having permanent classrooms to adequately accommodate the enrollment of almost a thousand.  Principal of the school, Marion Nolberto, told us by phone today that it will take at least five years for Saint Peter Claver to have a fully concrete structure to cater for its growing population.

Marion Nolberto, Principal, St. Peter Claver Primary (Via phone)

Marion nolberto

“We still have all three buildings on the school compound.  However, there are no children currently under the asbestos buildings.  So eleven classes have been displaced in a sense, or relocated to both the San Daniels building among other – the temporary buildings we got from Dangriga. Some of the buildings will need to be rehabilitated, some of them will need to be torn down and new buildings put in its place. We are occupying two rooms upstairs SB Daniels building. Where Claver Extension College is, we occupy it during the day and then they come in the evenings and have their sessions at night.  So that will go on until this first three classrooms are reconstructed and then our standard six students will move from the upstairs SB Daniels into that building, and we’ll be there with that arrangement until the new building is up.”

The five-year project will come at a cost of four point five million dollars.  The first phase has been approved by the Social Investment Fund for the renovation of the preschool.   Meanwhile, the buildings with asbestos roofs will be torn down toward the end of this year.  Saint Peter Claver is also pursuing assistance from the Belize Natural Energy Trust to complete the project.