Education Ministry Increases Spaces for GSAT Students

Amidst concerns of limited classroom spaces for students who sat the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) in 2006, the Ministry of Education and Youth sought to increase classroom spaces in the parishes of Clarendon and St. Catherine (Region 6).
Over the years, the population in the two parishes has grown significantly, and this has led to overcrowding, especially at the secondary level.
In fact, Education and Youth Minister, Maxine Henry-Wilson, said that the delay experienced in the publication of the GSAT results was directly attributed to the difficulty in finding spaces in the region.
Lauriston Wilson, Acting Director of Project Management and Technical Services at the Ministry, told JIS News that three schools in St. Catherine – Charlemont High, St. Jago High, and Tredegar Park Primary and Junior High schools – were completed under phase one of the project.
Under phase two, Jose Marti Technical High, Carron Hall High and Rosemount Primary and Junior High schools have benefited from expansion works.
In Clarendon, the Green Park Primary and Junior High, Beulah All-age and Denbigh High Schools have been expanded.
Meanwhile, the Ministry re-launched its Building and Expansion Programme, which involved the construction of eight new schools, while 11 were upgraded. The 19 schools created a total of 14,000 new spaces.
With respect to the shift system, Minister Henry-Wilson noted that it would not be introduced in the eight new schools, as the schools would represent model institutions in the education system.
“We are trying to develop models of schools.for a first class education system.we are determined that while we cannot get rid of the shift system all at once, because of the number of spaces that we have, new facilities will not be on the shift system,” she stated.