MINISTER of Education Alfred Sears said it is clear that the Ministry of Works “lacks the capacity” to address his ministry’s needs in providing timely school repairs.
This comes after CC Sweeting Junior High School was not able to open its doors to students yesterday for the start of the 2005-2006 school year, due to it being in a state of disrepair.
“The current system is not serving education well. I have had an experience now for three years working with this system. It is clear to me that the Ministry of Works lacks the capacity to address the needs of education on a timely basis,” said Mr Sears.
Despite the Ministry of Works’ limited resources, Mr Sears did commend that ministry for having made an extraordinary effort on behalf of the Ministry of Education. However, he pointed out that there is a need for more engineers, architects and surveyors. With there being a great need for preventative maintenance within the schools, Mr Sears said he will be presenting- to Cabinet a proposal to establish a national preventative maintenance programme.
This programme will seek to engage maintenance workers such as masons, carpenters and electricians permanently in the public schools, along with contractors to service school districts.
“It is my belief, based on the advice I have received, that if we put more resources into the maintenance of the school we will have less of a bill in terms of structural repairs,” said Mr Sears.
“I have also consulted with the deputy prime minister for the use of prisoners in the maintenance and landscaping,” he added.
Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education Creswell Sturrup said that at A F Adderley Junior High there were some concerns about safety.
However, an independent expert and Ministry of Works engineer had given an assurance that the building is now structurally sound based on remedial action taken, said Mr Sturrup.
While work is being completed at Carlton-Francis Primary School, grades four to six will be relocated to the Greater Bethel church, the Southland Church of God and Carmichael Primary School.
On the Family Islands, Mr Sturrup said there would have been slight delays at N G M Major High School and the Mangrove Bush Primary School in Long Island.
Additionally, he said that on San Salvador trailers are being installed to accommodate the primary school children of the United Estates Primary School destroyed by hurricanes last year.
The installations of the trailers should be completed in a week and a half, said Mr Sturrup. School will open on the island this Thursday and the primary. school children will be accommodated at other allocated locations.
By: Tiffany Grant, Tribune Staff Reporter
