Cabinet Okays Contracts for Expansion and Construction of Basic Schools

KINGSTON — Cabinet has approved two contracts valued at more than $62 million for construction and expansion works at two basic schools in St. Andrew and St. Catherine.

This was announced on August 10 by Minister with responsibility for Information, Telecommunications and Special Projects, Hon. Daryl Vaz, at the weekly post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.

Alcar Construction and Haulage Company Limited has been awarded $32.1 million for the building of new facilities to house the Maranatha Ministries Basic School in St. Andrew, while Marshall Construction Company Limited will undertake expansion works at the Newlands Basic School in St. Catherine at cost of $30.3 million.

“The expansion (of Newlands Basic School) will enhance the capacity of the school, which currently does not meet the infrastructure standards of the Early Childhood Commission (ECC), in particular, standard four, which speaks to the physical environment, standard equipment, and furnishings for early childhood institutions,” Mr. Vaz said.

He informed that the construction of the Maranatha School is in keeping with the recommendation from the ECC for the institution to have its own space.

“(The) school operates from space that the church uses for other community outreach programmes. Enrolment at the school has increased from 40 in 1998 to 98 in 2009, highlighting the need for the school to have its own dedicated space,” he stated.

The Maranatha Basic School has been in operation since 1998 as an outreach programme of the Maranatha Christian Church.

By CHRIS PATTERSON, JIS Reporter