Mould worry lingers

By Emma Sun
THE possible presence of mould and the chemicals being used to treat the carpets at Cranbourne’s Carlisle Park Primary School after the floods are causing concern among parents and teachers.
School council president Ash Peters says that while the outside of the classrooms looks fantastic, it doesn’t mean there aren’t any problems.
“The people who own the property stated it is ‘fit for purpose’ but it’s the inside that’s the problem,” Mr Peters said.
“They’ve used chemicals on the carpet but that still hasn’t gone under the carpet, so there could still be mould and bacteria.”
Mr Peters said despite the carpets being dried, moisture was still trapped between the rubber tiles and concrete.
“They still need to be fully lifted so everything can be dried properly,” he said.
“Somewhere down the track, kids are going to lift the tiles and mould and mildew will get everywhere.
“We simply want them to systematically get those tiles lifted, dried and disinfected properly so the students have a safe area to work in.”
In a meeting with the regional director from the education department and a representative from the owners of the property last Monday, it was decided that an independent health and safety officer would randomly test tiles throughout the school for mould or bacteria.
“If there is no mould during the three to four months, then it’s fine,” Mr Peters said.
“The officer will report to the school council at every meeting we have.”
Extensive work was done over the weekend with humidifiers, dryers and blowers going around the clock to fix the carpets but anxious parents have kept their children at home in fear of potential illnesses.
The school has seen a huge decline in attendance since reopening last week, with less than half of the 256 students attending classes in the first few days.
Numbers have increased since the meeting, with only a few families still refusing to send their children to school.
Mr Peters praised the teachers’ hard work and quick thinking during the situation.
“The teachers falling ill last week was a small indication,” he said.
“As soon as they did, the other teachers conducted the classes outside away from the areas.
“They know the health and safety of children is really important. They’ve done a fantastic job.”