The Ministry, Department of Education and the Parent/Teachers Association of the Orealia Kelly Primary School, have been locked in talks over the rebuilding of the school and the accommodation of students during that process.
The roof of the school’s auditorium was severely damaged by Hurricane Irma in September 2017 rendering that section un-useable. While that area calls for repair, it was decided that the opportunity should be taken to expand the school by adding a second floor, with new classrooms, and refurbished and larger classrooms elsewhere in the building. It was thought that the rebuilding work would have commenced over the 2018 Christmas holiday period, while the children were at home, but it is understood that some portions of the design plans were not yet completed.
The Ministry now wants to move forward with the work. Overall, this accounts for an outlay of four million Eastern Caribbean dollars, part of the sixty million pounds provided under the UK Government’s grant for various hurricane-hit projects on the island. The urgency of the situation is that the money for rebuilding the school must be tapped into and spent this year.
In its quest to commence the construction work, the Ministry embarked on a neighbourhood search to find suitable accommodation to relocate some of the students – but without immediate success. The Ministry eventually secured two containers or trailers from one of the hotels to accommodate two of the classrooms but, given the need to refurbish them, and probably other factors, parents in particular objected to their use and the matter was the subject of a flurry of social media emails.
The situation was discussed at a joint meeting at the Teachers’ Resource Centre on Monday, January 21, organized by the Ministry of Education with a large number of parents and teachers in attendance. The Minister of Home Affairs and Education, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge, and her Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Chanelle Petty Barrett, presided over the meeting. The Permanent Secretary provided much background information about rebuilding the school; a comprehensive explanation about the design plans, including the three stages of the construction work; and the options opened to the Ministry.
One of the matters she referred to was that it had just come to the attention of the Ministry that the middle block of the school building, housing younger children, was infested with bat droppings, endangering their health and needing urgent attention.
She informed the meeting that discussions were in progress to relocate the students from the above block to the Central Baptist School building at Rey Hill which is no longer in operation, but that no decision had been reached so far. “We have to thank the PTA for their suggestion in relation to the Central Baptist School,” the Permanent Secretary said. “There are six classes that can be made available to us. I must tell you, though, that we don’t have any final word or final agreement with them, but it is looking positive so far. The only drawback is that the rooms are small for the sizes of our classes – so it will be a tight fit and I am going to say that upfront.”
PS Chanelle Petty Barrett
There was much comment from a number of teachers and parents, in particular, in relation to the cost of renting the former Central Baptist school-building which, like all other costs, would have to be met from the four million dollars earmarked for the rebuilding of the Orealia Kelly Primary School.
Monday’s meeting was called for the Ministry to receive various suggestions from the teachers and parents relating to the rebuilding of the school and the temporary relocation of students. The meeting was inconclusive on the relocation issue.
On the question of the containers or trailers, Minister Richardson-Hodge told the teachers and parents that they were useable, but because of their condition they would be taken away; that other schools might have need for them when refurbished; and that rather than being used for classrooms, they could provide space for labs and other services.
The Minister noted that similar temporary or makeshift facilities were being used in other Caribbean islands where school accommodation and other such services were needed.
Another meeting involving parents, teachers and officials in the Ministry and Department of Education was scheduled for Thursday, January 24. The hope is that the obstacles facing the school would quickly be overcome leading to its rebuilding in due course.
