$1.2m primary school upgrades

It will cost Government $1.2 million to carry out repairs at 17 primary schools this summer.
The 17 primary schools which stand to benefit from the programme that falls under the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation are: Gordon Walters Primary, Grazettes Primary, Half Moon Fort Primary, Hindsbury Primary, Holy Innocents Primary, Selah Primary, Society Primary, St Catherine’s Primary, St. Giles Primary, St. Joseph Primary, St Lawrence Primary, St Lucy Primary, St Margaret’s Primary, St Matthew’s Primary, St Paul’s Primary, Wesley Hall Infants and Workman’s Primary.
The refurbishment programme will address repair or installation of louvre windows at three schools; installation of a covered walkway at one school; and ceiling repairs at three other schools. Additionally, there will be repairs to emergency stairs, roof work at five schools, construction of a new nutrition room and repairs to flooring, among other general repairs. 
According to the Ministry, while Half Moon Fort, Holy Innocents, St Joseph, St Matthews and St Paul’s Primary Schools are to have major roof repairs, the programme is, however, not considered to be causing significant compromise in the provision of key hurricane shelters.
Project Manager of the Ministry’s Education Project Implementation Unit (EPIU), Richard Harrison, noted that the repairs, which started on Monday, July 8, were scheduled to end on Friday, August 23, in time for school which officially re-opens on Monday, September 2, for teachers, and Monday, September 9, for students.
“This is to give principals and teachers at least a full week of availability to the completed sites before the children return to their classrooms and to ensure everything is satisfactory,” Harrison explained. (BGIS)