Schools want flood victims out

More than 100 children and adults placed in two St Andrew schools-turned-shelters after their homes were flooded by heavy rains over the past four days were in a quandary yesterday as shelter managers tried to relocate them ahead of the start of the school week.

Seventy persons were registered at the shelter opened at the Edith Dalton-James High School in Duhaney Park, but shelter manager Carolyn Evans said she was "hoping to wrap up things" if the weather permitted by late yesterday.

At the Sandy Park Basic School, shelter manager Tyeisha Grant said she was hoping to have the 40 persons staying there relocated by Sunday.

preparing for exams

Evans made it clear that no one was being pushed out, but said consideration had to be given to students preparing for CSEC and CAPE exams next year.

"It's not that we are pushing them out, but you have to strike a balance," she said, pointing to the fact that classes were suspended several days this week due to the heavy rains.

Evans said the majority of those seeking shelter were not homeless and she had encouraged them to stay with relatives until they could get their lives back on track.

However, in a swift response, the Ministry of Education said this was not how it operated.

Chief Education Officer Grace McLean said the country was facing a national disaster which "simply means that we have to work together to ensure that we make suitable alternative arrangements for the persons who are being affected".

"So, if there is an issue, ODPEM (the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management) will bring it to the attention of the relevant persons in the ministry and we will work with them to make the decisions accordingly," she told The Gleaner yesterday.