Protect the nation’s children from pigeon infestation

Oct 18, 2025 Letters

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Dear Editor,

The situation unfolding at the BV Primary School, as happened in the Kwakwani Primary School before, is not just a minor maintenance issue; it is a profound and damning indictment of the former APNU-led Regional Democratic Council in Region 4 and Region 10, the Ministry of Local Government under the former leadership of Ms. Sonia Parag and the former Ministry of Education under the leadership of Ms. Priya Manickhand.

As a collective the PPP and APNU, failed the students of this country in the most basic duty of care. The teachers’ refusal to work is not an act of defiance, but a desperate, last-resort measure to protect the health of their students and themselves.

But what is most disgusting is to see the approach taken by Minister Sonia Parag; it illustrates a high degree of indifference from her and her close team. If the WIN Team did not highlight this matter, would she have taken action? To the Honourable Minister, we must ask: How many children must cough themselves hoarse? How many teachers must develop respiratory infections before this crisis registers on your list of priorities?

Let’s be unequivocal: there is no valid excuse for this neglect. The Ministry of Education defenses on this matter are flimsy at best.

A health crisis of this magnitude, where the very air students breathe is toxic, demands immediate national intervention. Hiding behind bureaucratic buck-passing while children’s health deteriorates is an abdication of leadership, plain and simple.  To hear Minister Parag saying “We are aware of the situation and are looking into it”, was shocking. The teachers and parents are not reporting a potential future problem; they are describing a current and ongoing health emergency. Pigeon guano dust, which contains fungi that cause Histoplasmosis—a serious lung infection—is not something you “look into.” It is something you eradicate with urgency. Pigeon droppings, which can harbour over 60 known diseases, are not a cosmetic nuisance; they are a biohazard. Your “awareness” is meaningless without decisive action.

And why Minister Parag cannot get off on this one?  On both fronts, the Ministry of Local Government and the Ministry of Education, she was in the seat and did absolutely nothing to help the children, until the WIN Team brought this matter to light.  To hear excuses of budgetary constraints, delay a solution, totally exposes that the Minister of Education just does not understand her mandate.  As a politician, she must know that no dollar figure can be attached to the cost of a school child’s lung function as a result of a pigeon and bat infestation.

Honourable Minister Parag, your title is not merely ceremonial. It comes with a moral and legal obligation. You are the custodian of our nation’s future—our children. By allowing this infestation to persist without any clear action plan that is communicated to the nation is sending a chilling message to the people.  You are not ready for national leadership.

We therefore offer the following suggestions and demand you publicly and immediately implement:

1. Declare a State of Emergency for the “at risk schools” and mobilizing immediate pest control and biohazard cleaning teams. Gosh man – you can just approach RENTOKIL?
2. Provide a Transparent Timeline to this nation, for the remediation process. A special session of the PTA of the school should be called to communicate directly to parents and staff.
3. Arrange Immediate Temporary Facilities to ensure education continues without compromising health, while the main building is sanitized.
4. Institute a National School Sanitation Audit: Every school in Guyana must be inspected for similar infestations and health hazards. Publish the findings and a transparent, funded plan to address them.

The teachers of BV Primary have shown more leadership by taking a stand to protect their students than the Ministry has in its failure to act on time. The teachers have done their part. The ball is now in your court Minister Parag. The nation is watching. Will you continue to preside over a ministry that allows its schools to become hazardous waste sites?

I want to go on record to thank the WIN Team for bringing this matter to the public’s attention and for visiting the school.  This nation salutes your good work in support of the welfare of the parents, teachers and students who were exposed to this bio-hazard.  Keep up the good work and we shall remember.

Vishnu Prashad

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• BV Primary School, Kwakwani Primary School, Letters, pigeon infestation, Vishnu Prashad

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