Three Schools to Get Buses from Japan

The Embassy of Japan has signed three grant contracts amounting to $28.8 million, to purchase school buses for Rest Primary and Infant and Bustamante High Schools in Clarendon, and Port Antonio Primary School in Portland.

Two 29-seater Toyota Coaster buses and one 15-seater bus will be purchased with the money, under the Government of Japan’s Grassroots Human Security Project.

The signing ceremony was held on Wednesday (February 5) at the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, at Heroes Circle in Kingston.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Kasan Troupe, shared that the buses will impact approximately 1,200 students and provide an opportunity to expand equity.

“Thank you, Ambassador, for investing in Jamaica in this way,” Dr. Troupe said, as she extended gratitude on behalf of the schools.

She advised that the Ministry is accelerating the process to get the buses delivered to the schools.

In addition, Dr. Troupe said the Ministry is applying for the establishment of driver posts in the beneficiary schools.

“There is a process to get that going ahead, so when the bus comes, you have your driver in place being fully paid by the Ministry,” Dr. Troupe said.

In his remarks, Ambassador of Japan to Jamaica, His Excellency Yasuhiro Atsumi, said the buses are aimed at alleviating the transportation woes of the rural students, some of whom are often late or absent from school.

“The biggest reason for these problems is a lack of reliable transportation between the homes and the schools,” he said.

Ambassador Atsumi noted that education is one of the priority areas of cooperation between Japan and Jamaica.

“Japan stands ready to enhance Jamaica’s education sector for its young citizens, so they can fulfil their dreams of a better tomorrow with hope. Education is the passport for the future of Jamaica’s economic development,” he said.

Meanwhile, Executive Director of the National Education Trust (NET), Latoya Harris-Ghartey, pointed out that the Embassy has been partnering with NET on education projects for the past 10 years.

“The rural transportation project, for which everybody in here is a beneficiary, is important. It is so much more than just a bus. It is a means, it is safety, it is access, it is an opportunity and those are the things that we always want to provide for our children – safety and security,” Mrs. Harris-Ghartey said.

She encouraged school administrators, staff and students to take good care of the buses when they receive them.

“We have a long list of schools that want it and they are clamouring for it and you were blessed by the Embassy and the Government and people of Japan today to take that next step, so take care of it,” she urged.