Black River Primary Repairs 60 Per Cent Complete

Repairs at Black River Primary and Infant School in St. Elizabeth are approximately 60 per cent complete, with contractors being urged to expedite the remaining work ahead of the reopening of schools on September 7.

Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Marlon Morgan, provided the update during a tour of the institution on August 18 as part of a two-day visit to schools across St. Elizabeth.

Black River Primary and Infant School was among the institutions damaged during the passage of Hurricane Melissa last year, with Senator Morgan describing the school as having been at “ground zero” consequent on the hurricane’s impact.

He noted that while work is progressing, the pace of repairs at schools visited across the parish has varied, with some institutions being closer than others to being ready to fully accommodate students for the start of the 2026/27 academic year.

Senator Morgan said contractors have reported challenges in securing suitably qualified and certified skilled workers, particularly in the areas of electrical installation and carpentry.

“We have had some deficits and challenges in that regard, and it would have slowed the progress. One of the things we have been focusing attention on is holding our contractors to account,” he stated.

The Parliamentary Secretary further indicated that the contractor at Black River Primary and Infant School has had to source workers from outside the area, including painters and other personnel from as far away as Montego Bay, St. James.

He said repairs have also been hampered by challenges in obtaining some of the materials required for the school, particularly aluminium louvre blades for the windows.

Senator Morgan said the Jamaican supplier on whom the contractor relies has encountered difficulties importing the items due to increased shipping costs and logistical disruptions stemming from the situation in the Middle East.

“It may mean, in some instances, that we land the louvre blades here… the window solutions here in the country but have to do so at increased costs. That is a possibility and a contemplation,” he stated.

Notwithstanding the challenges, Senator Morgan emphasised the importance of getting students back into the classroom.

“Our tour here, in keeping with the sentiments expressed by school leaders like Mrs. [Sharon] White, [principal] of the Black River Primary and Infant School, has been to impress upon our contractors the critical importance of September morning, the critical importance of getting our learners back into the teaching and learning environment so that we can have optimal engagement going on,” he stated.

Senator Morgan advised that, prior to visiting Black River Primary and Infant School, the Ministry team toured Middle Quarters Primary and Infant, Crawford Primary and Infant, and Brompton Primary and Infant schools in St. Elizabeth South Western.

Meanwhile, Mrs. White also used the opportunity to urge the contractor to expedite the remaining work at Black River Primary and Infant School ahead of the reopening of the new academic year.