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| Minister of Education, Ronald Jones (left) and Innotech Construction Director, Andrew Adam (right), during a tour of phase one of the Lodge School redevelopment project yesterday. (A. Gaskin/BGIS) |
There are plans for new secondary and primary schools to be built across the island.
This was revealed by Minister of Education, Ronald Jones, as he and other Ministry officials toured phase one of The Lodge School redevelopment project yesterday.
Minister Jones explained that $100 million in funds had been negotiated for the effort, with $70 million sourced from the Caribbean Development Bank and $30 million in counterpart funding from the Government.
In reference to the need for a secondary school, Mr. Jones observed that the closing of Louis Lynch Secondary had resulted in stress being placed on the existing 22 secondary institutions.?? He added that the 800 students and staff of that institution had had to be accommodated throughout the system, and this had led to the expansion of the existing institutions, including the Lodge School. As such, he emphasised that the new secondary school would ease the burden and would also cater to post-secondary students.??
Mr. Jones observed that " we have identified, not all within this particular project, some 13 other schools as well – eight primary in that lot to be accommodated within this current phase of that project." While he noted that a location for the new secondary school was yet to be confirmed, he maintained that it would be located in Christ Church.?? He suggested that the aim was not to further "clutter" urban areas, but said that the Highway 6 corridor from Six Roads to Newton and the Highway 5 corridor, which travels through Lowlands and St. Patricks would be a suitable region for a school to be located.
The Education Minister noted that primary institutions, such as Wesley Hall, St. Elizabeth, Chalky Mount, Belmont and St. Martin’s/Mangrove would most likely be rebuilt because of the condition of the structures; while Wilkey Cumberbatch would see a major expansion.