Ready or not, heads call for later reopening of schools

by Christina Smith

Heads of schools have united in a last-ditch effort to get Cabinet to push back the date for schools to reopen, considering the state of unreadiness across many school plants on the mainland as well as in the Grenadines. The Heads have concluded that schools are not ready to be reopened on September 2, 2024, and the request was taken to Cabinet on Wednesday, August 28, 2024. The Government will however, stagger the reopening of schools with the majority set for commencement on September, 2, the originally pre-hurricane scheduled date.

The decision of the Heads came out of a meeting of Principals and Headteachers which was held on Wednesday, August 28, 2024 at the UWI Open Campus where the Heads met with senior Ministry of Education officials ahead of the start of the school term in September.

Scores of school Heads spoke frankly to Ministry officials at the meeting detailing the setbacks experienced as a result of the late start of renovation work, inability to secure sanitization equipment, and also the unavailability of furniture. Many of the issues affecting school plants are related to the damage incurred from Hurricane Beryl which thrashed the country on July 1, however some school heads pointed to poor maintenance schedules as the reason for schools not being ready to open for the September 2 date.

President of the SVG Association of Principals of Secondary Schools and Tertiary Institutions, Insa Duncan, said many of the schools under her portfolio will not be ready for that date. She said with respect to the schools which were being used as emergency shelters there have been challenges with completing sanitization. In addition, some schools still have construction and building materials on the compounds, leading to concerns about students’ safety.

“While a few schools can open in the spirit of unity…collectively we are not ready.”

A number of the school leaders who addressed the meeting, said they have been experiencing challenges with the pace at which contractors were working on school plants, with two schools indicating that work had still not started with less than seven days before the planned reopening.

Chief Education Officer, Kay Martin-Jack disclosed that out of a survey done in July, 22 schools indicated a likely readiness to meet the reopening date, while some 21 schools confirmed their readiness. But many at the meeting indicated that their responses were made under the expectation that major construction work would have been completed.

Permanent Secretary, Myccle Burke told the gathering that up to two weeks ago, the Roads, Buildings and General Services Authority (BRAGSA), listed more than a dozen school where extensive work was yet to be done.

“About two weeks ago we reported to Cabinet that there were 23 institutions occupied as shelters and there were a total of 559 shelterees. We are now down to four institutions on mainland,” he said

“According to BRAGSA we have about 17 institutions that will be unable to reopen next week because of extensive damage. We are talking about Level three and four damage where complete roofs have to be replaced, where the structure has been compromised. “

Burke described the issues with furniture as a “bone of contention” and said the Ministry has put plans in place to address furniture needs for schools, as well as the new school plant at Arnos Vale which is set to house students from the Southern Grenadines.

“We have gone back to Cabinet for additional resources, something in the vicinity of $3 million EC to address additional furniture needs and equipment.”

Burke said the individual reports compiled at the meeting will be detailed at Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting. The Ministry of Education’s staggered reopening dates are that 59 Primary Schools would reopen on September 2; three would reopen on September 9, and two on September 16, 2024. With respect to Secondary Schools, 18 are listed for reopening on September 2; seven on September 9; and one on September 16, 2024. Parents and teachers have indicated that they are awaiting official information regarding the reopening of schools.