Government schools, most of which would have been closed during the summer holiday, are undergoing repairs and general cleaning to ensure they are ready for the September 10 start of classes.
At Eagle Hall Primary School, one of the 17 schools earmarked by the Ministry of Education for summer repairs, the work is far advanced and yesterday several workers were readying the classrooms for the new school term. Â
Some old desks and chairs and other items of furniture deemed no longer suitable for use were piled in the schoolyard to be dumped.
St Stephen’s Primary School enlisted the help of professionals to install a security system to protect the information technology room. Yesterday employees of Intrusion Detection Systems were busy installing a burglar alarm, while other workers were cleaning the complex.
At Eden Lodge Primary School, the electrical work on the main office building and a school block has been completed.
Work at several primary schools included the repair and installation of louvre windows, creation of covered walkways, electrical rewiring and improvements to concrete walls and roofs.
Minor repairs and general cleaning were being undertaken at Ellerslie Secondary School and St Leonard’s Boys’ School.
St Leonard’s principal Joseph King said the school has already been scrubbed, some new furniture ordered and most of the repair work – including the plastering of the walls of the pavilion to correct the problem of water seeping into the building – completed.
King said that there was a problem with termites in the staff room and work to correct this would be completed shortly.
Ellerslie’s principal Major Errol Brathwaite said the St Michael institution suffered little damage during the year and there were no major repairs.
Brathwaite said that school would undergo the expected clean-up and should be ready for the return of teachers next week.
The refurbishment work at the school included repair of doors and windows.
Brathwaite added that the school, which did not have a library for in excess of 12 years, had identified the library space and was just waiting to outfit it.
Additionally, the school’s canteen is being cleaned and lunch benches being completed.
Brathwaite said the canteen was not big enough to accommodate all students at once and the new benches would assist in this regard. (LK)
