Boston Primary and Infant School Gets New Building

Some 68 students of the Boston Primary and Infant School in Portland are to benefit from the construction of a building to house the infant department at that institution to boost better delivery of early childhood education.
The construction of the department was realised through the cooperation of the Boston Old Students’ Association and the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) and was facilitated under the Poverty Alleviation Programme administered by the JSIF. It was funded by the European Union and the Government of Jamaica. The total cost of the project is $7.8 million of which JSIF provided $5.7 million, and the Students Association, $2.1 million. Some 350 students attend the school.
The JSIF officially handed over the building during a presentation function held at the institution on Wednesday, October 13. Among those in attendance were representatives of the European Union (EU), officers of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture, members of the Boston Old Students Association as well as staff members and students of the school.
Presenting the main address, Regional Director for Region Two of the Ministry of Education, Beryl Jhengelly commended the JSIF for the work it was doing to alleviate poverty and achieve sustainable development in communities across the country.
She also praised the members of the Boston community for the spirit of unity they had displayed in making the project a reality. Mrs. Jhengelly asserted that the building would go a far way in enhancing the delivery of early childhood education to the students, and exhorted the community to ensure that it was given the best care and protection.
She used the opportunity to emphasize that government was intent on improving the island’s early childhood education system, adding that several programmes and initiatives were in place to ensure that the best quality early childhood education was provided.
Also speaking at the function was Ambjorn Bergland, Charge d’affaires for the European Delegation in Jamaica, who in addition to expressing the EU’s appreciation for being involved in the project, also gave the assurance that the EU was committed to providing assistance to Jamaica’s social and economic programmes.