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"...because pit toilet not in again," Wright said.
Horne says promise to modernise pit latrines is no election gimmick
BY KERRY MCCATTY Sunday Observer staff reporter mccatty@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, June 03, 2007
FOR 105 years, students at the Brinkley Primary School in St Elizabeth South East have made their way down a slope, through the path that leads to the school's pit latrines whenever nature calls.
"They're scared because right now it full of wasp," vice-principal Vivlyn Powell told the Sunday Observer recently.
HORNE... I am very excited about it
"One student can't see out of one eye," another teacher at the school, Norma Stephenson, added.
But the burden of modernising pit latrines at 28 schools in St Elizabeth is now that of People's National Party (PNP) caretaker candidate Norman Horne. Horne says his plan is a sure thing whether or not he wins the seat. He is going up against the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) Frank Witter.
Much of St Elizabeth South East also has no piped water and people have to buy trucked water.
Horne, who called pit latrines "regressive and backward" in a telephone interview with the Sunday Observer, said he plans to spend just about $8 million over the next 18 months on building flush toilets at these schools "with or without the office of Member of Parliament".
"I am very excited about it, and I take it very personal," Horne said of the project.
But, some, like Powell, are not convinced.
"It seems to me that he is just promising and waiting for elections," Powell said. Both Powell and Stephenson say that even though Horne met with them at the school earlier this year about the toilets, somebody who claimed to be calling from his office was recently checking if the school had pit latrines.
Both women say their disbelief that Horne will deliver on his promise is rooted in the fact that members of parliament have not traditionally contributed to significantly building the community.
"Anything this community get is Alpart (Alumina Partners of Jamaica). No politicians," Stephenson said.
"We live in an environment where people are accustomed to promises by politicians [and don't] take them seriously, so I can understand that," Horne said of the doubts expressed by the teachers.
While Horne waits to put his $8-million plan into action, things are not smelling so good for the teachers and students of Warminster and Rusell All-Age schools, also in the constituency.
Students heading to pit latrines at Brinkley All-Age School in St Elizabeth South East (Photo: Gregory Bennett)
The stench coming from the pit latrines is unbearable.
They are typical: The school is on a hill and just below, a few feet away the latrines sit. Horne wants to wipe out that scene, he says, not as a politician, but as someone who grew up in the constituency.
"I don't want to politicise this issue," Horne said. "What we need in Jamaica is more management and less politics."
Down the road from Brinkley Primary is Brinkley Basic School, where principal Hillary Blake-Higgins and teacher Novia Wright are frustrated that the construction of their flush toilet facilities has stalled.
They say the project was started by Lift Up Jamaica, a non-profit group, which has undertaken to provide schools across the island with flush toilets, and was slated to be completed over a year ago.
The teachers said not only were the 37 infants scared of using the pit toilets, but that parents also had serious concerns about the safety of their children.
"Sooner or later we won't have any children because the parents are going to move them, because pit toilet not in again," Wright said.
The basic school teachers say they have heard vaguely about Horne's promises, and are hoping he will keep them.
Horne says promise to modernise pit latrines is no election gimmick
BY KERRY MCCATTY Sunday Observer staff reporter mccatty@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, June 03, 2007
FOR 105 years, students at the Brinkley Primary School in St Elizabeth South East have made their way down a slope, through the path that leads to the school's pit latrines whenever nature calls.
"They're scared because right now it full of wasp," vice-principal Vivlyn Powell told the Sunday Observer recently.
HORNE... I am very excited about it "One student can't see out of one eye," another teacher at the school, Norma Stephenson, added.
But the burden of modernising pit latrines at 28 schools in St Elizabeth is now that of People's National Party (PNP) caretaker candidate Norman Horne. Horne says his plan is a sure thing whether or not he wins the seat. He is going up against the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) Frank Witter.
Much of St Elizabeth South East also has no piped water and people have to buy trucked water.
Horne, who called pit latrines "regressive and backward" in a telephone interview with the Sunday Observer, said he plans to spend just about $8 million over the next 18 months on building flush toilets at these schools "with or without the office of Member of Parliament".
"I am very excited about it, and I take it very personal," Horne said of the project.
But, some, like Powell, are not convinced.
"It seems to me that he is just promising and waiting for elections," Powell said. Both Powell and Stephenson say that even though Horne met with them at the school earlier this year about the toilets, somebody who claimed to be calling from his office was recently checking if the school had pit latrines.
Both women say their disbelief that Horne will deliver on his promise is rooted in the fact that members of parliament have not traditionally contributed to significantly building the community.
"Anything this community get is Alpart (Alumina Partners of Jamaica). No politicians," Stephenson said.
"We live in an environment where people are accustomed to promises by politicians [and don't] take them seriously, so I can understand that," Horne said of the doubts expressed by the teachers.
While Horne waits to put his $8-million plan into action, things are not smelling so good for the teachers and students of Warminster and Rusell All-Age schools, also in the constituency.
Students heading to pit latrines at Brinkley All-Age School in St Elizabeth South East (Photo: Gregory Bennett) The stench coming from the pit latrines is unbearable.
They are typical: The school is on a hill and just below, a few feet away the latrines sit. Horne wants to wipe out that scene, he says, not as a politician, but as someone who grew up in the constituency.
"I don't want to politicise this issue," Horne said. "What we need in Jamaica is more management and less politics."
Down the road from Brinkley Primary is Brinkley Basic School, where principal Hillary Blake-Higgins and teacher Novia Wright are frustrated that the construction of their flush toilet facilities has stalled.
They say the project was started by Lift Up Jamaica, a non-profit group, which has undertaken to provide schools across the island with flush toilets, and was slated to be completed over a year ago.
The teachers said not only were the 37 infants scared of using the pit toilets, but that parents also had serious concerns about the safety of their children.
"Sooner or later we won't have any children because the parents are going to move them, because pit toilet not in again," Wright said.
The basic school teachers say they have heard vaguely about Horne's promises, and are hoping he will keep them.