$1.3 m to repair schools

 
It will cost Government $1.3 million to carry out repairs at 17 primary schools this summer.
Those schools which stand to benefit from the programme that falls under the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development are: All Saints, Bayley’s, Boscobel, Eagle Hall, Eden Lodge, Erdiston Special School, Good Shepherd, Ignatius Byer, St. Elizabeth, St. John’s, St. Jude’s, St. Luke’s, St. Stephen’s Nursery, Vauxhall, Welches, Wesley Hall Infants and Wilkie Cumberbatch.
The refurbishment programme will address repair or installation of louvre windows at four schools, installation of covered walkways at three, and electrical rewiring at three others. Additionally, there will be repairs to concrete walls, one roof, an extension to an office section, and repairs to a nutrition room and ceilings, among other general repairs.
According to the ministry, the repairs will generally not impact the use of the schools as hurricane shelters. Only St. John Primary is expected to be so affected, since the entire roof of this building is being replaced.
Acting Project Manager of the ministry’s Education Project Implementation Unit, Richard Harrison, noted that the repairs which started on July 2, were scheduled to end August 24, in time for school which officially re-opens on September 3 for teachers and September 10, for students.
“This is to give principals and teachers at least a full week of availability to the completed sites before the children return to their classrooms and to ensure everything is satisfactory,” said Mr. Harrison. (BGIS)