$440m Allocated for School Repairs and Maintenance Activities

The Ministry of Education and Youth has allocated $440 million to fund critical repair and maintenance activities in 125 schools across Jamaica for the 2023/24 academic year.

Addressing delegates during the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) 59th Annual Conference at Royalton Negril Resort and Spa in Westmoreland on Wednesday (August 23), Portfolio Minister, Hon. Fayval Williams, said $165 million has been budgeted to close 23 contracts carried over from 2022/23.

“We will be spending $65 million for maintenance and renovation projects in seven schools, and a total of $210 million has been set aside to carry out critical repairs in 95 schools for termite treatment, electrical repairs, repairs to bathrooms and roof repairs, with $30 million disbursed to each region to help to manage these projects,” she detailed.

The Minister advised that there is a “laser-like focus” on infrastructure matters, pointing out that meetings are held weekly except when there are other pressing matters.

“We are not short of funds to do the work. What we need is a more accelerated process. It takes too long for the building officer to come out and look and for design work to be done and the tender to go out and come back and go out again and come back, and then it has to go to the next level and the next level. That’s what’s holding up the process. It’s not the money,” Mrs. Williams said.

Meanwhile, the Minister advised that 32 schools with special needs students have been identified.

Of that number, new ramps are required for 24 institutions, while additional ramps need to be constructed at eight schools.

“So far, 22 schools have been visited. Twelve of those are at the point where the work will go to tender shortly, and we are moving apace to ensure that there are no physical impediments to our special needs students to get to their classes and to participate in other activities at school,” Mrs. Williams shared.

She further advised that $244 million was allocated to undertake electrical upgrading projects in 47 schools and another $73 million for fencing works in 56 institutions.

Regarding furniture, the Minister said high schools have received funding, totalling $97 million, to procure items based on their needs.

“At the primary-level schools, 1,400 pieces of furniture, which [are] student desks and chairs, were dispatched to Regions One, Two and Four, based on requests and needs. Seventy-four pieces of teachers’ desks and chairs were dispatched to Region Five, and 3,800 pieces of furniture were scheduled to be dispatched during August to other regions,” she informed.

Mrs. Williams indicated that the furniture repair programme remains active with 11 schools engaged.

“We also continue to have an active programme of creating new desks and chairs across several of our schools. So based on the framework agreement that the Ministry has embarked on, 16,000 pieces of furniture are being manufactured and they should be completely distributed by August 28,” Minister Williams said.