By Shauna Jemmott

WHAT’S so wrong about children inhaling “a little dust”, when at the end of the day, they’re getting a brand new school.
A whole sight lot, it seems, according to an official from the Rights of the Child Commission (RCC), who says that the law specifically stipulates that children have a right to a healthy environment, as much as they have the right to be educated.
But to back up a bit, it all started when the Guyana Chronicle was called in to investigate a situation at the Supply Primary School on the East Bank Demerara, whereby children are being forced to attend classes, in spite of the profusion of dust coming from the construction, in concrete, of a new school building on the very site as the old one.
When the Guyana Chronicle paid the school a visit last Thursday, children could be seen playing on the premises, blithely unaware of the adverse effect the visibly swirling dust could have on their young lives.
But what was even more troubling was that, dust and all, a fund-raising food sale was in full progress, right there on the premises at the time, and while the argument could very well be made that there was no evidence of dust inside the old school building where the food was being sold, there’s no telling what vermin was in the atmosphere that the naked eye could not see.

BIG DEAL!
When the Guyana Chronicle approached the acting head-teacher for a comment, she, in not so many words, said she didn’t see what all the fuss was about; and couldn’t for the life of her fathom why the media would want to report on something as frivolous as that.
So eager was the President of the school’s Parent Teachers Association (PTA) to rush to her defence, she could’t wait for the acting-head to finish speaking.
“I’m the PTA President,” she said, voice brimming with authority, “and I wouldn’t want anything of that sort to be published in the newspaper.”
She then went on to say that the school had enough problems, as it were; that it was “just a little dust;” that the more dusty part of the work was already done.
“This is just some finishing wood work,” she said. “You see! The floor already finish! We had dust with the roof and the floor!”
She was just getting started. “Before you go over there,” she said, “I would want you to check this building to see the struggle we had here, before we could get that; so why should we complain about a little dust now, when we had sand in our head.”

A WELCOME DEVELOPMENT
At this point, the acting head, who had by now found her voice again, chimed in: “The school is just glad for that building; we welcome it,” she said, adding that she would not make any further comment on the matter, since she was not authorised to do so. For that matter, as acting headteacher, she was not authorised to speak to the media.
Not so Ms PTA President; she had lots more to say. She explained that the closest primary schools to Supply were at Craig and Soesdyke, both of which are some distance away.
She said that it was because of this dilemma that the school decided that they had no alternative but to put up with the dust.
“These children are from this catchment area,” she said, meaning the village of Supply and its immediate environs. “We don’t have nowhere that we could send them; we cannot do a shift system, and that is why we choose to bear with it for a short while.”
By now wishing she had held both her tongue and her temper, she tried to make ammends by explaining that the old school building had been in such a deplorable state, that she took it upon herself to approach the Ministry of Education about constructing a new building to house the school.
And, to their credit, they have responded admirably; she is especially pleased that they did. And while construction only started last October, it is already near completion, and scheduled to be handed over to the Ministry of Education on April 17.
But her patience was wearing thin. “You know what hurts me the most? Is to know that all the years this school with sand, nobody don’t come and give we nothing…
“We have to raise funds here to get test-paper money. We want a fridge and a stove! Who we going to?”
And, pointing to an area in the wall where the accumulated dust was once so thick, it fell on whoever happened to be in the area at the time, she said,
“We have no problem with dust or anything; and we’re not comfortable to go on media. If you want, put this about a little dust…
“I am the PTA president, and if I had a problem with the dust and our children and went to Ministry, then…”
As Ms PTA spoke, one woman who appeared to be a teacher, was overheard saying, “We ain’t geh no asthmatic child in we class! We don’t geh no asthmatic child here!”
But according to Article 24 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child Commission, “Children have the right to good quality health care; the best health care possible; to safe drinking water, nutritious food, a clean and safe environment, and information to help them stay healthy.”
And according to our source at the RCC, the Commission is likely to look into the matter and make the necessary recommendations.