20,000 School Spaces to be Provided by 2009

Some 20,000 infant, primary and high school spaces are to be provided by 2009, as the Ministry of Education seeks to ease the shortage of accommodation in schools.
This was disclosed by Claude Stewart, Head of the School Facilities and Infrastructure Work Stream of the Education Transformation Team, at a recent JIS ‘Think Tank’.
“To give us those spaces, there are 12 new schools that we are currently building or in different phases of construction,” Mr. Stewart pointed out, adding that some 5,000 spaces have already been provided at a cost of approximately $300 million.
The schools under construction are Mandeville High and Mile Gully High in Manchester; Riversdale High in St. Catherine; Bamboo High, Discovery Bay High and Steer Town High in St. Ann; Sandy Bay High and Foga Road High in Clarendon; Gregory Park High in St. Catherine; Fair Prospect Primary in Portland; Springfield Primary in St. James; and Central Branch Infant in Kingston.
Mr. Stewart pointed out that all the schools being built are designed for easy access by the physically challenged.
“In order to create a world class system and to ensure access and equity for all, it is essential that there are enough school spaces and a very high quality learning environment for all students and teachers,” he explained.
Mr. Stewart also disclosed that 16 schools are also being expanded and upgraded, while 27 prototypes of additional classroom blocks are under construction.The prototypes, he informed, are quick-built schools, which can be constructed within three to four months. “This has helped us out a lot, especially last year, when there was quite a crunch to get children into schools,” he noted.
He also pointed out that repairs have been completed at 500 schools, and another 200 have been identified for repairs. “We should have all those schools repaired by March of this year,” he said. The schools were either damaged by Hurricane Ivan or Dean.
On the subject of furniture for schools, Mr. Stewart explained that some 27,000 items, comprising students’ desks and chairs, teachers’ desks and chairs, benches, stationery, cupboards, filing cabinets, principals’ desks and chairs, screen boards and trapezoid tables for the infants, have been delivered.
“We have so far contracted some $800 million and we will continue supplying furniture to ensure that the kids [and teachers] have a place to work on,” he said.
The School Facilities and Infrastructure Work Stream has been focusing on the immediate demand for additional school spaces, expansion of existing schools, the construction of new ones, and the provision of school furniture and equipment.