Noranda increasing support for education in St. Ann

MONTEGO BAY — Operations Director at Noranda Jamaica Bauxite Partners (NJBP) in Discovery Bay, St. Ann, Delroy Dell, says the company will continue to partner with the Ministry of Education to improve education in the parish.

“We at NJBP take education seriously and, as such, we want to ensure that we provide assistance to all levels of the education system, here in St. Ann,” Mr. Dell said.

He was speaking at an NBJP awards ceremony at the Runaway Bay HEART Hotel, to recognize 61 outstanding performers in the 2011 Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT). They were selected from 30 schools in the parish, and were each presented with a certificate, and a scholarship grant of $25,000 to assist with back to school expenses.

Apart from the GSAT Awards Programme, which is in its second year, Mr. Dell said that the company was assisting in other areas of education in the parish.

“Come September, the students at the Discovery Bay All-Age School will have a new computer and reading room, which have been provided by the NJBP,” he disclosed.

He also revealed that students of the Higgins Land Primary and Junior High, Lime Tree Gardens Primary and Alva Primary Schools will have new flush toilets by September, constructed by the NJBP. The Discovery Bay Skills Training Centre, which was also built by the company, will become operational in September.

He said that almost 40 students attending tertiary institutions are gaining valuable work experience at the company, as part of a three-week old programme which will eventually benefit 120 students.

He listed other works being carried out by NJBP as including: fencing the Water Valley Basic, Rosetta Basic and Charlton Infant schools; and construction of toilet facilities at the Clydesdale Primary, Watt Town Primary and Water Valley Basic schools. In addition, agriculture education in the parish has been boosted with the construction of three modern green houses at the Aboukir Institute, York Castle High and Brown’s Town High schools, by NJBP.

Mr. Dell appealed to the communities to support the schools and the Ministry of Education in building the education sector.

By ALDEEN CAMPBELL, JIS Reporter