Minister of Education, Science and Technology Alfred Sears announced that throughout the summer months, the ministry undertook 154 repair, construction and expansion projects that addressed the maintenance and repair requirements of all of the 158 government-run schools. On a recent trip to Grand Bahama, which averaged $6.7 million dollars on school repairs, and Bimini, Minister Sears noted that this year, has in fact been the most expensive for the ministry in getting the buildings ready for back to school.
“We had to do a lot of work on the schools this year,” he said. “Because we are trying to change the entire face of the government school system, including the physical aspect we had to ensure that we gave every school a complete review. But spending all that money means nothing when we’re doing it for our students.” At a press conference, Minister Sears broke down the figures. He noted that the total cost of the new government-run schools in ment-run schools in Grand Bahama and New Providence, will be an estimated $25,756,490.81, while the total cost of the expansion and refurbishment projects was pegged at $8,612,450.82. The education minister added that the total cost for the school repairs still to be carried out is $10,545,921.28.
He added that while there are still minor repairs left to be done on some schools, every public school in the country will be opened and ready for the more than 60,000 students in the government school system on Monday.
“Despite the challenges and breadth of the projects, the majority of the projects have been completed in a timely and efficient manner,” Minister Sears said. “Works which have not been complete during the two-month summer window will be completed after school reopens with minimum disruption and related hindrances to the school day.”
While some schools will only be refurbished or repaired, older ones like A F Adderley Junior, R M Bailey Senior, T G Glover Primary, Yellow Elder Primary and 13 other schools with aging and deteriorating buildings, will get major upgrades as the ministry tears down and rebuilds those worn down schools block by block.
Since overcrowding seems to be an ongoing problem in the government school system, the Ministry of Education has promised to build two new schools to accommodate the rapidly changing population.
“In order to meet the demographic growth and shifts in population and to relieve overcrowding at the St George’s and Jack Hayward High Schools in Grand Bahama and the S C McPherson and A F Adderley Junior High Schools in New Providence,” he said. “We will build new physical plants such as the Heritage Junior High School in Grand Bahama and the Southwest New Providence Junior High School. The construction of both junior high schools will begin shortly.”
Minister Sears and his team have been touring the public schools throughout the country to get a bird’s eye view of how the projects have been progressing. Reports indicated that while some schools seemed to be behind in getting the repairs done, Minister Sears said he was “very pleased” that most of the government-backed schools were up and ready for the start of the 2006 school year.
By: IANTHIA SMITH, The Nassau Guardian
