Repair Works Begin At Burnt Savannah Primary

Work has commenced to repair the Burnt Savannah Primary and Infant School in St Elizabeth, following significant delays from material shortages.

Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Marlon Morgan told JIS News during a tour of the school on Friday (August 28) that the shortage of building materials, which had slowed progress in recent weeks, has now been resolved.

He indicated that the supplies are now on the school compound, and that additional building materials including zinc, are expected shortly for roofing works.

The Burnt Savannah Primary and Infant School suffered severe damage following the passage of Hurricane Melissa in October last year.

“We’re doing our reconstruction and repairs in a way that makes our school plants more resilient, more fit for purpose, and more befitting and dignified for use by our administrators, our teachers, and indeed our students,” Mr. Morgan stated.

He explained that the immediate priority is the restoration of key classroom spaces. The Grade Five block, located at the rear of the school compound, and the Grade Six block will be re-roofed, along with another key classroom block.

Senator Morgan also noted that the bathroom facilities are expected to have their roofs rehabilitated by September 7, while further work will continue on the administrative block that houses the principal, vice-principal and school secretary.

“[However], not all the work that is to be done will be complete in time for September 7, and that is where our own partnership and collaboration as a ministry with the people on the ground here will come in and that will take the form of makeshift classrooms or primarily tents, so that we can accommodate our students even while we continue to build out and advance the project here,” Mr. Morgan stated.

For her part, Principal, Janet Stephenson-Atkinson welcomed the renewed push to get the school ready, noting that the visit by Mr. Morgan and the regional education team provided reassurance that the concerns of the school community were being heard and that there was now a clear direction for rebuilding.

Mrs. Stephenson-Atkinson said the school was putting measures in place to ensure that the areas to be used by students are safe and urged parents and other stakeholders to continue cooperating with the administration as the transition arrangements are implemented.

The Parliamentary Secretary also made stops at Holland Primary School, Marie Cole Memorial Primary School and Santa Cruz Primary School in the parish to assess the institutions level of readiness for the new academic school year.