Outspoken trade unionist Caswell Franklyn is calling for the removal of the entire management team of the Government Industrial School (GIS).He insisted that even as a staff member remains on suspension with full pay pending investigations into reports that two female wards had allegedly ingested harmful substances under her watch earlier this month, the people responsible for spearheading operations at the state-run institution should be given their walking papers.In addition to saying that he was not pleased with the conflicting messages being publicised about the GIS, Franklyn said he was not comfortable with what was happening with the staff and wards.“That place is a hellhole,” he charged, adding that he was familiar with several unpleasant incidents that occurred at the GIS, particularly at the Female Unit in Barrows, St Lucy, over the years.The former Opposition Senator suggested that in order to bring a new lease to the GIS, the staff serving in managerial positions need
Outspoken trade unionist Caswell Franklyn is calling for the removal of the entire management team of the Government Industrial School (GIS).He insisted that even as a staff member remains on suspension with full pay pending investigations into reports two female wards had allegedly ingested harmful substances under her watch earlier this month, the people responsible for spearheading operations at the state-run institution should be given their walking papers.In addition to saying that he was not pleased with the conflicting messages being publicised about the GIS, Franklyn said he was not comfortable with what was happening with the staff and the wards at the reform facility.“That place is a hellhole,” he charged, adding that he was familiar with several unpleasant incidents that occurred at the GIS, particularly at the Female Unit in Barrows, St Lucy, over the years.The former Opposition Senator suggested that in order to bring a new lease to the GIS, the staff serving in mana
Authorities are being urged to come clean on what is happening at the Government Industrial School (GIS).Former Opposition Leader Bishop Joseph Atherley made the call as he expressed concern about the conflicting information coming out about the state-run institution, in particular the Female Unit at Barrows, St Lucy.“We have to stop playing around with this situation. It is children we are dealing with here. We have to stop playing around with this. One is unclear as to what is happening. People who speak officially on behalf of the Government speak from a situation where they are properly informed. And then, conversely, we get the impression that people outside of Government speak as equally informed and based on proper information. So you are confused,” he lamented in an interview with Barbados TODAY.“You get the impression that an investigation is ongoing and reports will be done. What happens after those reports, why is the investigation taking so long and some of these thin
A staff member of the Government Industrial School (GIS) is awaiting her fate after being suspended from duty with full pay pending the outcome of a probe into reports that two female wards had allegedly ingested harmful substances under her watch.Barbados TODAY has obtained a copy of correspondence that Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Information Deborah Payne sent to the graduate teacher in the GIS’ Female Unit at Barrows, St Lucy, informing her of her immediate suspension and advising her to stay away from the institution.“It has been brought to my attention by the Acting Principal of the Government Industrial School that you were on duty on July 9, 2022, when two (2) committed residents reported that they ingested harmful substances,” the July 10, 2022 letter stated, noting that at the time both residents had been taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).“It is to be noted that this is the second incident, the first being on April 29th, 202
The Women In Action Network (WIA) is questioning why the Government Industrial School (GIS) is still using detention rooms with prison cell features.During Tuesday’s tour of the $1.4 million renovation project at the GIS at Dodds, St Philip, Managing Director of Front House Designs Studio Raquel Thompson, in her capacity as Project Manager, explained that detention rooms at the reform facility would be equipped with prison grade furniture – that is, bed frames would be secured to the floor – and measures will be taken to prevent toilets in the room from being taken apart.“It will still have a mattress, it will still have a sheet, they still are able to have pillows. So it’s just a measure so that a student or ward is not able to injure themselves. So prison grade might sound a bit harsh, but forgive my use of the term,” she had said.But the WIA spokesperson, Tempu Nefertari questioned why the building, in its description, referred to punitive measures with respect to how th