The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

EDUCATION Minister Chester Cooper said a ceiling fan that fell at a primary school and injured at least one student was not connected to recent renovation work, but acknowledged the incident underscored the need for a more structured, year-round maintenance programme in public schools.

Although Mr Cooper did not identify the school, Eyewitness News reported that a ceiling fan fell at Albury Sayle Primary School, injuring at least one student.

One of the families affected had raised questions about the condition and maintenance of the fan, including when it was last inspected and whether other fixtures at the school could pose a similar risk.

Mr Cooper yesterday described the incident as “most regrettable and unfortunate” and said it demonstrated why school maintenance could no longer be concentrated in the summer months.

“We consistently need a more structured maintenance program that I've been talking about since becoming the minister responsible for education,” he said. “So no longer will we just do repairs during the summer months. This is going to be an ongoing exercise of preventative maintenance.”

Asked whether the Ministry of Education would cover expenses arising from the incident, Mr Cooper did not directly answer.

“We’re in touch with the family,” he said. “We’re mostly concerned about the health and safety of the children. We work closely with the family. We do everything that we possibly can to ensure the smooth transition and processing of these matters.”

Mr Cooper said senior Ministry of Education officials contact families following incidents at school facilities to check on their welfare and extend the government’s support.

He said he had personally spoken with families affected by the falling fan, as well as the family of a student involved in a separate lightning strike at RM Bailey Senior High School. Sixteen-year-old Anton Bowe, an 11th-grade student, was struck by lightning on the grounds of RM Bailey Senior High School.

“I don’t want to speak specifically to any family-specific incident,” he said, “out of respect for them and respect for the processes I don’t have anything further to add as it relates to that. Suffice to say that the children are fine, thank God, and we continue to do all in our power to ensure ongoing maintenance throughout the schools.”

Mr Cooper said the ministry’s priority following such incidents is the safety and welfare of students and their families.

“It’s always safety first,” he said, “and it’s always first being concerned about the well-being of the child and the well-being of the family.”