By: Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News|
The pigeon infestation at the Beterverwagting Primary School on the East Coast of Demerara continues to spark outrage among parents and teachers, despite claims by local authorities that the situation is under control.
On Thursday morning, Regional Democratic Councillor for Region Four, Neville Cumberbatch, visited the school and attempted to reassure parents that steps were being taken to resolve the issue. However, his assurances fell flat as frustrated parents refused to accept that effective action was being taken.
“We went into the school to assess the situation. The headmaster was asked to prepare a list of the school’s needs, and the school was closed for fumigation,” Cumberbatch said.
Despite these efforts, parents reported visible pigeon droppings in several classrooms, insisting that the school remained unsafe for students and staff. When the school’s gate was briefly opened, it was also discovered that there was no running water on the compound.
Cumberbatch defended the authorities’ response, saying,
“We did the best we could have done under the circumstances. Pigeons are no easy thing to get rid of — you do expect us to come with a castanet and catch all of them?”
He added that some breeding areas had been blocked, but pigeons could still be seen nesting in the ceiling.
The councillor also criticized the PTA for locking the school’s gate to prevent classes from resuming, calling their actions “unwarranted.” However, parents strongly disagreed, insisting that their move was justified given the threat to their children’s health.
One angry parent responded,
“I would like to understand if the PTA cannot take action when children’s health is in danger — that is the reason for a PTA body in a school.”
Parents say they are fed up with delays and are demanding swift and permanent action from the Ministry of Education and regional authorities to restore a clean, safe learning environment.
