First Vice-President of the Barbados Union of Teachers and Chair of its health and safety committee, Julian Pierre. (FP)
written by Sheria Brathwaite | Updated by Barbados Today | 04/07/2025St Bernard’s Primary School was forced to close on Thursday after a sudden outbreak of illness among students, triggering alarm among teachers and parents and prompting an urgent investigation by public health officials, Barbados TODAY has learned.
The St Joseph school was shut after a growing number of students began presenting with rashes, sores, and peeling skin—symptoms health authorities say may be linked to highly contagious conditions such as hand, foot and mouth disease, impetigo, or scarlet fever.
“A lot of children [are] falling ill,” said Julian Pierre, first vice-president of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) and chair of its health and safety committee. “About three weeks ago, one of the teachers had recognised that one of the children had a rash about her body. On checking with the parents, they had identified that it was possible that it could have been an allergic reaction to fruit juice. However, since then, the same child displayed different symptoms, which would have included sores around the mouth and on the tongue.”
Pierre said the child’s condition worsened over time, and others who sat near her began to develop similar symptoms.
“The child also displayed what we would call skinning of hands, where the skin on the hands begins to flake and come off. Children who sat around the student next to her and in front of her started to display these similar symptoms. Some children had a rash as well. That number had risen from one to four, up to about 13 in the class,” he explained.
The initial cases were concentrated in Infants B, but students in other classes have since exhibited similar signs. In response, teachers urgently requested a meeting with education officials.
“The deputy chief, with a quick response, arranged a meeting with the staff [on Tuesday] to discuss the concern,” Pierre said, adding that the Ministry of Health was brought in the following day.
Pierre confirmed that a team from the St John Polyclinic—a senior environmental officer and community nurses—visited the school on Wednesday to conduct assessments and begin testing.
“They are unsure up to this point as to what it could be. They’re looking at a number of possibilities. However, it is of concern to the school because based on the options that they would have mentioned… all three of them are highly contagious,” Pierre said.
The school was closed on Thursday for what the Ministry of Education described as a cleaning, but Pierre expressed concern about this measure in the absence of a confirmed diagnosis.
“Without identifying what it is that is going around, I’m not sure as to what they’re going to be cleaning for. If you’re cleaning for a particular thing, you would know what chemicals to use. However, not knowing up to this time what it is, the staff is very concerned for their health. They don’t live alone. They have young children. They have ageing parents,” the union official said.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common viral illness primarily affecting children under five, characterised by fever, mouth sores and skin rash. However, Pierre pointed out that health officials have indicated that adults can also carry and spread the disease.
Impetigo, another possibility being explored, is a bacterial skin infection that causes red sores, while scarlet fever, often linked to strep throat, presents with a red rash, high fever and a “strawberry” tongue. All three conditions are known for their rapid transmission in close-contact environments.
“Students have been tested at random. More testing is to take place. However, under recommendation from the nurses, once we see any children displaying symptoms, they should be sent home. The parents are advised to seek medical attention to rule out any of these contagious diseases,” Pierre said.
With 117 students and 21 staff at the rural school—including teachers, janitors and school meal workers—concerns are mounting over how widely the illness may have spread.
“Obviously, because it is a community school, there are students who travel together to and from school. Some live in the same house. They play outside together,” Pierre said. “If it is something highly contagious… we had to take certain measures in terms of trying to more or less quarantine those who have been showing symptoms.”
He added: “When we think about how the other diseases are spread in terms of saliva, things being airborne… this is in the term where you would find students doing tests, teachers collecting papers, passing on papers, correcting papers. Adults could be carriers who may not show the symptoms that a child would carry. So, it is a lot of uncertainty among the staff at the school.”
The Ministry of Health has launched a formal investigation, according to Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George.
He told Barbados TODAY: “We are conducting an investigation…. We can’t confirm just yet what the diagnosis is. But the teams have already visited, and we are putting plans in action to make sure that the situation is contained.”
Late on Thursday, Deputy Chief Education Officer Julia Beckles said a statement from the ministry would be forthcoming.
It is uncertain how long the school will remain closed. Pierre questioned the feasibility of a thorough industrial cleaning being completed in a single day.
“Realistically, I don’t think that detailed industrial cleaning of an entire school can happen in one work day,” the union official said. “It is very concerning for us…. We just want to ensure that everyone—students, staff, families—remain safe until we know exactly what we’re dealing with.”
