BETERVERWAGTING, E.C.D. – A raw conflict between terrified parents and local authorities erupted this morning at Beterverwagting Primary School, as the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) closed the school gates, deeming the institution unfit for occupancy. The drastic action followed reports that students were recently hospitalized due to a severe pigeon infestation that officials had allegedly failed to correct, despite weekend intervention.
The media and parents who were initially allowed into the besieged school discovered shocking conditions: pigeons were still present, classrooms visibly stained with pigeon droppings, and the school library a catastrophic sight of excrement covering books, shelves, and the floor. Furthermore, the school allegedly has no running water, and the toilets were reportedly left uncleaned, underscoring the deep health crisis. Up to the time of this publication, the school gate was opened, however, parents and teachers did not occupy the school.
The Councillor’s Defense: Too Little, Too Late
In a heated exchange with the parents and the PTA, PPP Regional Councilor Neville Cumberbatch mounted a controversial defense of the regional authority’s actions. He claimed that officials of the region and the Ministry of Education had indeed gone to the school at the weekend to do remedial work and had acted only on “immediate needs” submitted by the headmistress. The Councilor claimed that during the brief closure, they “blocked off essentially all the areas… that the pigeons would have gained entry into some of the classrooms.”
When pressed on the clear failure to eradicate the persistent infestation, especially since parents alleged insufficient work was done, Cumberbatch delivered a stunning justification: “Do you expect us to come with a cast net or something to catch all of them? We have blocked off essentially the places that they normally go sit…” He concluded his defense by drawing on personal experience, claiming that if the birds have “no place to lodge… the pigeons will go after a time.”
Water Crisis Dismissed, PTA Authority Challenged
The Councillor also dismissed the core sanitation issue, claiming he saw water at the school. He attributed any remaining water problems to the pervasive “iron in the water” issue that affects neighboring schools and homes; a problem he claimed the RDC does not control. He claimed that the responsibility for managing the existing tanks and reservoir lies with the school administration.
The tension peaked when Cumberbatch challenged the PTA’s authority to close the school, claiming the body “does not have a title to lobby.” This legalistic stance was met with outrage from the Councilor who pointed out that parents who had sent their children to school had nowhere else for them to go. While asserting his own representative authority, Cumberbatch admitted he had to consult the Regional Chairman to determine if any directive was given to lock the school, underscoring the bureaucratic impasse that left the children’s education hanging in the balance.
