The Tribune

FNM Deputy Leader Shanendon Cartwright has criticised the government over the closure of CR Walker Senior High School because of plumbing problems, saying disruptions caused by incomplete repairs represent a “serious failure of planning, maintenance, and leadership”.

CR Walker was closed on Friday because of plumbing issues, prompting Mr Cartwright to accuse the government of failing to ensure essential repairs were completed before students returned to classrooms.

“Our children should never be placed in a position where they arrive at school only to discover that their classrooms are unsafe or that their school cannot operate because basic repairs were neglected,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Mr Cartwright said problems including leaking roofs, damaged ceilings, faulty electrical systems, inadequate plumbing and air-conditioning failures require consistent maintenance rather than emergency intervention.

“These problems do not appear overnight,” he said. “The Government has a responsibility to ensure that every public school is safe, functional, and ready before students walk through its doors.”

He said school closures cost students valuable learning time while forcing parents, teachers and communities to make last-minute arrangements.

“Every day a school remains closed is a day of learning lost,” he said. “It also places an additional burden on parents, teachers, and communities who are forced to make last-minute arrangements because the Government did not do what should have been done in advance.”

Mr Cartwright said the issue went beyond maintenance and reflected the government’s priorities, arguing that sufficient resources should be available to maintain public schools.

“If we can find money for other government projects, we must be able to find the resources necessary to maintain the schools where our nation’s children spend a significant portion of their lives,” he said.

He called on the government to explain why repairs were not completed and provide a timeline for bringing affected schools up to an acceptable standard.

“Bahamian children deserve better than excuses,” Mr Cartwright said. “They deserve safe schools, functioning classrooms, and a government that is prepared.

“Our children’s education cannot wait.”