BACK TO SCHOOL

As the over 100 educational institutions across the nation reopened in earnest yesterday, students of the Intermediate High School (IHS), affectionately known as “Timmy School” were granted one extra week at home.

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, speaking at a press conference yesterday at Cabinet Room, described the setback as one of the hiccups {{more}}that could be expected as the Ministry of Education and other state organisations prepare schools and other institutions for a new school year.

According to the Prime Minister, a report sent to him by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education Nicole Bonadie-Baker, said all educational institutions were re-opened with the exception of the McKies Hill situated school.

“The completion of works at the Intermediate High School is expected during the week of September 1, 2014. The works include construction of a septic tank/soak away, the repairs of damaged timber walls, the replacement of broken aluminium louvres and minor repairs.

“They are on the job doing the work, and they will be completed during this week,” the Prime Minister told the media.

“I am sure you are bound to find a few because we have 27 secondary schools and 61 primary schools. We have the various divisions of the community college, we have the technical institutes and centres across the country, schools for children with special needs, we have the early childhood centres run by the state, so you are talking about well over a hundred institutions and when you put the private early childhood centres you will see the number rises even more,” Gonsalves added.

The Prime Minister described the task of getting the students and institutions ready for the school year as “quite an exercise,” and that there were a number of institutions that were involved in getting students back in the classes.

Apart from the Ministry of Education, Gonsalves highlighted the work of the Ministry of Transport and Works; Finance; Social Development and Health, and the role each played in getting students and teachers into the classrooms.

The Prime Minister pointed out that the students and their families had embarked on very important milestones in their personal development which would contribute to the benefit of their families and to society.