Cabinet looking at schooling possibilities for displaced students from the Grenadines

With the new school year fast approaching, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves and his Cabinet are contemplating the possibility of accommodating Southern Grenadines students to attend school on mainland St Vincent.

Speaking on NBC radio on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, Gonsalves shared initial thoughts on ensuring that these displaced primary and secondary school students are not further disadvantaged. He spoke of the likelihood of having a building repurposed to accommodate students from the Southern Grenadine Islands whose homes and schools were destroyed by Hurricane Beryl on July 1, 2024. He said the two primary schools in Union Island may have to be combined, and that the government may have to take a look at the facilities which had formerly housed the Richmond Gabriel University, to assess what repairs would have to be done in order to accommodate some students. Continuing to share his initial thoughts, the prime minister said if the students are to be brought up to the mainland they would have to be provided with accommodation.

“We’d have to bring the teachers, many of whom are from down there. Those from up here would have their accommodation here, and if you bring the children, you’d have to bring at least one parent to stay with them.”

Dr Gonsalves said that in several cases, there would be more than one child in the family, at secondary or primary school.

“It is a costly exercise, but I can’t have the children without instruction come September. They must not be put in a situation disadvantageous to the children of the rest of the country.”

He stressed that these are matters which must be resolved quickly, and therefore the repurposing of buildings must commence soon.

“We have to begin the construction immediately, identify somewhere we can…do temporary construction.”

The prime minister estimated that in the aggregate there will be approximately 400 primary and secondary school students who need to be accommodated.

“People don’t begin to conceive as to the nature of this particular challenge which faces us. This is a great cause. Causes are never won by doubtful men and women,” Gonsalves remarked.

He, however, is not doubtful and expressed optimism that the people of SVG also are not doubtful which is why he encourages solidarity and unity.

“Our focus is on relief, recovery and reconstruct in tandem with the government’s ongoing programme for sustainable development.”

The prime minister said the government will have to repurpose resources from the existing budgetary allocations, and that all the money will be taken from the contingency fund now. Gonsalves said he was taking his ideas and proposals to Cabinet for discussion later that morning.

The new school year is set to commence in early September 2024, and, in addition to destroyed schools in the Grenadines, the authorities have to ensure that schools on the mainland currently being used as emergency shelters, are available to begin a new cycle of the teaching/learning process.