Principal laments inadequate garbage collection

Presently garbage is collected by the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) once per week, according to the principal.

But with nearly 3,000 individuals based at the South Street institution, Weir says removing waste from the compound once per week is insufficient.

“Here at Old Harbour High School we have 2,500 students, 133 teachers, 19 ancillary staff members, 14 admin staff members… the truck that collects for us comes once a week,” said the school principal at a town hall meeting inside the Old Harbour High School’s Selvyn Green Auditorium on February 26.

“I have communicated to the Ministry of Education, I have communicated to the Ministry of Health to say to them with a constituent size such as ours there is no way once a week can work. It cannot and it has not being working,” he added.

“I am begging and I am asking of us to improve where that is concern so we can take care of our constituents in a proper way.”

In the absence of an NSWMA representative, chairman of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation Mayor Norman Scott, says while he cannot speak for the waste management entity, he will raise Weir’s concern with the company.

Old Harbour News subsequently made contact with the NSWMA chief executive officer Audley Gordon, who is yet to comment on the matter up to the time of publishing.