The St. Giles Primary School will not reopen on September 21, due to extensive and ongoing renovations, which had to be undertaken to the roof of the main building.
Students will have to be accommodated elsewhere. Minister of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, Santia Bradshaw, said the Ministry was in discussion with parents and the Barbados Community College to see how students could be accommodated there. Students may not return to the school plant for classes until early or mid-October.
Speaking last evening on the reopening of schools, Minister Bradshaw gave an update on the annual Schools’ Summer Repair programme, which targets primary schools. She said many of the schools had received upgrades and renovations had been completed at most of the school plants. Additionally, she pointed out that work at those schools would be wrapping up this week.
“The one school which we’ve had to make some adjustments to, however, is the St. Giles Primary School. I don’t know if many people are aware, but the St. Giles Primary School is a very old building; it is a soft stone building. And, over the course of the past year, we recognised further deterioration in the roof of the main building and a decision was taken to renovate the entire main building. We had to remove the roof and now we are in the process of replacing the roof and ensuring that the interior is also upgraded,” Minister Bradshaw stated.
When students and teachers do return to the plant, they will be greeted with new flooring and cupboards, an upgraded staff room and new quarters for ancillary staff, in addition to the new roof. Minister Bradshaw said the Ministry of Education would ensure that students remained engaged and received the necessary devices if they have to work from home.