Milk River Primary and Infant School Reopens After Severe Damage by Hurricane Beryl
By: , September 5, 2024
Photo: Garfield Angus
Students at an orientation session held at the Milk River Primary and Infant School in Clarendon, on September 3.
Photo: Garfield Angus
Principal of the Clarendon based Milk River Primary and Infant School, Gloria Grant (left); and Regional Director with the Ministry of Education and Youth, Barrington Richards (right), interact with students, Ministry officials and parents at an orientation session held at the school, on September 3.
The Full Story
Milk River Primary and Infant School in Clarendon has reopened after it underwent repairs with funds provided by the Ministry of Education and Youth, to correct damage done by Hurricane Beryl on July 3.
On Monday (September 2), the institution began receiving students for the new school year.
Principal, Gloria Grant, said the damage done by the hurricane was “severe”, with the roof of the main building compromised and damage done to the grade-one block.
“I am happy; we are still in recovery mode but the school is in session,” she told journalists at an orientation session with students and parents, on Tuesday (September 3).
The Principal lauded the National Education Trust (NET), and the Education Minister, Hon. Faval Williams, for the timely response after the storm, as well as Jamalco, for providing cash grants to the institution, and manufacturing company Sherwin Williams, for providing paint to the school.
She also praised community members for helping to clean debris from the compound.
Meanwhile, Ms. Grant noted that the institution performed “fairly well” in this year’s sitting of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examination.
“We are going forward, the momentum is upward, and we will be moving to higher ground,” she said.
Student, Kevia Boothe, said she is excited to be back at school, because “I get to see my teachers, and learn more in grade six”.
“I am glad that the school is fixed, so that we can be more focused,” she said.
Another student, Jordane Brown, said he felt “wonderful that the school get fixed”.
Parent, Joan Francis Henry, said “the school looks nice; now the children can sit comfortably in class”.
Another parent, Ava-Kay Simpson, said “I am really excited that the school got some help; the kids are more comfortable”.
For his part, Regional Director of the Education Ministry, Barrington Richards, said approximately $200 million was dedicated to repair schools in the region, and all the 22 schools that were damaged during the storm have been reopened.
“I invite our stakeholders, teachers, students and our parents to be patient with us. We are working assiduously to restore normalcy to all our schools. It will take some time, and we are pleased that we have committed contractors on board, working day and night, to complete the recovery of our schools,” Mr. Richards said.