Our Children Deserve Better
We hope you’re not having a meal, because these pictures will put you off food for sure. These are the filthy bathrooms at St. Croix Central High School, shown in photos taken within the past three days. Participants in the recent All-Star Basketball tournament held here were forced to use these facilities – that is after they spent their time in the gymnasium dodging the rats. And some of your children go to school here every day.
How many deadlines have passed to get this done? How can we expect our children to learn in these putrid conditions?
Unsanitary conditions are part of what is standing in the way of accreditation for this school. Here’s our question – Why does Middle States have to tell us that our schools should be clean?
Loading ...
These deplorable conditions is a representation of a failing administration. Can you imagine, can anyone really identify one are where they can claim some success? Public Safety, Health, Education and the list goes on has been nothing but failing. They are more into the politics that paying attention to the bread and butter issues. I recently heard and confirmed the administration sent out tax refund checks and had to recall them because by all accounts the amounts were totally eroneous. I am appalled when my friend received a check for $5,689.00 and he was only entitled to receive $168.00. I suggest to him that he turn it in and he did. What a calamity. And back to the Central High, are we supprise Governor degone is not paying attention to our concerns here on St. Croix. Just take a look at how much money is being spent on St. Thomas to provide his real friends with hefty contracts. I can’t wait for the IG to start an inquiry.
I bet you if our good Governor’s children had to use these bathrooms they would be a heck of a lot cleaner.
They don’t have to worry about anything like that because billionaire pervert Jeffrey Epstein is paying their tuition.
where are the maintenance crews at.
that is so nasty and unsanitary.
how can ones even concentrate in class….i am sure the odor permeates everything.
the principal should be ashamed of themself for true.
bless the youths.
is hard for them in these times.
Though these conditions are deplorable, how did they get that way? It was not the Governor nor the School Administration that used it or made such a mess. Students need to have decency for themselves. It is just nasty to leave a mess like that, especially against the wall, come on! If I were the maintenance crew, I would be appalled and probably refuse to clean it too.(No one should have to endure such work conditions; even if you think it’s part of their job.) Now the locker room showers need a good scrub, sanitizing and hosing down. Regular maintenance would keep it up to par. They say cleanliness is next to godliness. This should be taught from home; with our kids realizing that not because someone else is “suppose” to clean it they should not have respect and courtesy for school or other people’s property. Come on Caribs, let’s do better.
Who should be blamed for the deplorable condition? I suggest that the students should volunteer to clean up the mess. They could earn community service points this way. The government should provide the cleaning materials and tools. After being completely cleansed, the bathrooms should be locked.Keys should be issued to teachers who would keep a log of students requesting their usage. If a student finds a bathroom condition unsatisfactory, he/she should make an immediate report. The last student that used it should be required to clean up. In order words, a system of accountability and responsibility should be implemented. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is in sanity!
To Colette: this isn’t a sign of a failing administration, it’s a sign of the next generation failing. Why is that? Can’t blame anyone but ourselves.
To Tafar: bless the youths? Nosah. Give dem lash. It be dem who nasty it up. We got plenty licks in St. Patrick’s School. I know it can’t be done now, but it worked long time de man.
Alma: you are very close to the root cause. The young ones have no foundation in basic decency or life skills. Educated perhaps by TV land people. I wonder why?
Indigenous: students volunteer? Hello? Better to put them in charge. If they cause the problem they can darn well clean up after themselves. Sorta like what our parents made us do when we were small.
All of the above is IMHO, of course.
Good idea Indigenous Virgin Islander….the second part that is. I say call in the professionals for the initial cleanup since this involves “hazardous materials”, but your accountability suggestion makes good sense. Maybe not the teachers, but custodians taking turns. I would also suggest cameras be placed at the entrances to the facilities.
What should the students do about the rats?
bless
i overstand now that the youth made the mess.
but….
where is the supervision….
do ones in charge not regularly check for things?
why was it allowed to get into this condition…..
and is the toilet mess a one time vibe or on the regular?
knowing now that the youth made the mess…..where is the home training?
things have really gotten worse than i realized.
and i did not mean that maintenance should be required to clean that up…i could not do it, and have done that type work before….i meant where are they that it was not reported.
why has it gotten to such a horrendous state that it is now on a public board for the entire world to see.
gawd…….
i just do not overs filth to that extent in a public school…..anywhere for that matter.
i just do not.
it is a boiling point for bacteria and illness that could become catastrophic…..
it is truly dreadful….truly truly dreadful
guidance
The toilets at other public schools in the territory also look like this. My teenage daughter often waits until she comes home to use the bathroom. She says that the toilets at her school cannot flush. Doesn’t sound like nasty students are the problem to me!
the plot thickens…
let’s plunge to the bottom of it….
I as a student in the past, I witnessed how other student would do these nastiness after the janitor has finished do the cleaning. So, is it really the school principal not doing the job or the same group of students doing filthiness for fun! In this case these (pets) children would need a better education inside a birdcage, because parents have not dedicated time for educating good basic principles in them.
Those of you who want to blame the students are in complete denial as to the physical state of our public schools.
The adults are to blame – not the children.
Bathrooms at every public school I been to look like this, but I bet not the restrooms at Government House. Why are we not directing some of this stimulus money into improving our schools?
I have several friends who teach in public schools on stx. They all point to the same problems; the students do not respect their teachers or school property. This is not the students fault. It is the fault of the student’s parents. In our politically correct world teachers are no longer permitted to discipline students, the parents are informed that their child is causing problems in school and they do nothing about it.
Another problem is that there are not enough funds to buy supplies or to maintain the schools. This is a problem in many government departments. The VI government is overstaffed. We have too many government employees. All of the money is going to pay salaries. I am told that in the school system there are too many administrators who really do not do much except collect their pay checks. VI law makes it almost impossible to fire someone so the problem goes on.
Did Turnbull our “Education Governor” solve the problems in the public schools? I don’t think so. What do you think deJongh
continued….
What do you think deJongh should do to fix the schools? Hire more janitorial staff? Until the students and parents care about education there will be no solution.
well let me inform you MR. MORGAN agian it is your FRIEND GOVERNOR JOHN DE WOLF who has this government the way it is, he has hired so many crminals in this government starting with the ST.THOMAS ADMINISTRATOR. second,it took DE WOLF over a year or more to find a education commissioner.OLD PEOPLE SAY when yo pick pick pick yo pick sh– so that is exactly what we got.and finally don’t blame all the parents blame those who makes the laws they have a great deal to do with what is happening in the VIRGIN ISLANDS TODAY.
OldFart: When there is no enforcement you have what we have today. Governor after governor continue to hire people at $85k to sit around in Gov House and other agencies doing nothing that benefits the territory. At the same time, schools like CHS end up with 1 custodian paid $20k. When we start putting strong principals in the lower grades, keeping the campuses clean, issuing detention for littering on the campuses, arresting parents for trespassing on school grounds and enforcing basic laws in this territory, this fiasco will end. A lack of enforcement of rule and law leads to the lawless territory we find our selves in right now. And, just as previous Governors, deJongh has brought nothing but lip service as he has failed to address the structural flaws of our Government.
We are asking our children to show respect to a system that continuously disrespects them. No administration has addressed the poorly maintained, run down, outdated physical conditions of the schools. No one has addressed the overcrowding of the classrooms. No one has addressed the incompetant teachers and poor curriculum.
When you stuff any creature into an overcrowed, dirty, boring, venue it will respond like a crab in a barrel. No one working together, all just scrambling to get on top.
Can we really blame our children for becoming “rats in the race”.
We call them “our future” and discard their needs like an unwanted “past”.