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Government is continuing to meet the educational demands of students at the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic (SJPP).
This was made clear today as Minister of Education and Human Resource Development, Ronald Jones, led a walk-through of the Samuel Jackman Precod Polytechnic’s Annex project – a set of prefabricated buildings, east of the polytechnic.
"What we sought to do here was expand from the main campus of SJPP some of the more popular and demanding areas for the students. Schools and institutions, particularly technical and vocational institutions like SJPP, have to respond to demand-driven education and there are areas here at SJPP where there is a very high demand and many of these buildings here will take care of some of that.
"It will not satisfy a 100 per cent. But, it is important that we sought to expand to the east in terms of the Polytechnic so that more of our students could benefit from what is being offered as part of the fare," he said.
The state-of-the-art training facility, comprising, eight buildings, will address the needs of students pursuing programmes in aesthetics, electrical installation and agricultural studies.
It is 95 per cent complete awaiting, among other things, a water tank and septic services.??
The Education Minister noted that Government not only placed emphasis on education, but on green solutions in the provision of electricity and to generate water.??
Pointing out that the new Annex incorporated green solutions, aided by Caribbean LED Lighting Inc., Mr. Jones said: "We have to go for sustainable solutions…I am hoping that [the] SJPP, particularly as we move more and more into the green economy, will be able to develop a programme which would help the whole process of greening."
The curriculum at SJPP is expected to expand to support alternative energy use, for instance providing training to students in renewable energy.
Meanwhile, Principal of the institution, Hector Belle, in noting that there were some 2,700 students enrolled, said the new annex was expected to see an increased intake of between 500 to 600 persons.
Minister Jones was accompanied on the tour by the Principal, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Management of the SJPP, Al Knight, and Director of the Higher Education Development Unit (HEDU), Dr. Patrick Rowe.??
The project, which is being coordinated by the HEDU, costs approximately $900,000 and is expected to be handed over to the SJPP on April 1, the start of the next financial year.