In preparation for the return to full face-to-face on September 19, the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training has been working on the planning and implementation of extensive emergency and maintenance projects, through what is referred to as the Domestic Summer Programme.
This was revealed by Minister Kay McConney during yesterday’s press conference that was live streamed to the public from the Ministry’s headquarters at the Elsie Payne Complex, Constitution Road, St. Michael.
While pointing out that 85 public schools comprising nursery, primary and special schools fell within the scope of responsibility of the programme, she said it was being implemented across 26 of these public schools, in 19 primary, four nursery and three special schools.
However, the Education Minister disclosed that work was started on 25 of the 26 school with repairs to one having to be deferred because of the Summer Nutrition Programme.
Emphasising that attention was being given to rural as well as urban schools, Ms. McConney said 10 are urban schools and 16 are rural schools. “We believe that rural and urban ought to get the kind of attention altogether in an equal and equitable way, as far as possible, based on their priorities and their needs to ensure that students across Barbados feel that we’re giving all a fair chance,” the Minister stated, adding that 10 of the 26 are urban schools while 16 are rural.
Also highlighting that her Ministry continued to partner with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and other partners, Ms. McConney said this was to ensure that they were able to assess the state of schools and be able to do the necessary remedial work and infrastructural work.
Meanwhile, Director of the Education Technical Management Unit, Francisco Miller, adding that assessments had been done for 10 of the 15 schools selected under the IDB programme, said: “Last year, we would have done an electrical upgrade to seven primary schools at a cost of about $2.2 million that saw the improvement of the electrical as well as the IT infrastructure at those schools.”
Providing an update on repairs, Mr. Miller revealed that the one school which was not repaired this summer would be attended to in December and noted that commercial cleaning was being undertaken at all primary, nursery and special schools.
He said: “We have entered into an interagency collaboration with the National Conservation Commission (NCC) as well as the Ministry of Health [and Wellness] in terms of the external cleaning and the cutting of the playing fields, whereby we have also engaged private service providers to assist us where the NCC does not have the capacity.
“We have also engaged the Ministry of Health and Wellness to do testing of the water tanks throughout the primary, nursery and special schools. Currently, the renovations at the schools are on pace to be ready for the return of the children on September 19.” Stressing that nothing major had been encountered, Mr. Miller said hopefully they would meet their anticipated deadline to have the schools ready for teachers for their planning week as well as for the return to school by students.