Work Advanced at Barracks Road Primary

Expansion and upgrading work at the Barracks Road Primary School in St. James is far advanced and principal of the institution, Alonzo Jones has said that the project should be finished by March 2005, in good time for the start of the 2005/06 school year.
The project, which is being undertaken at a cost of $12 million, entails the construction of five new classrooms, a staff room, three water closets, rehabilitation of the existing Grade two block and the provision of furniture for the new classrooms.
Mr. Jones told JIS News that the project, which started last September, was 50 per cent completed and the work was progressing steadily and was within budget.
Construction is being financed by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), through the Poverty Reduction Programme (PRP). The Parent Teachers Association (PTA) is undertaking the work.
The principal said that the addition of the new classrooms would help to alleviate overcrowding and lower the student/teacher ratio to 1:35. There are currently 1,650 students on roll served by 37 teachers.
Meanwhile, PTA president Carlton Samuels, expressed appreciation to JSIF for its confidence in the association’s ability to do the work. He said that with Barracks Road Primary being regarded as one of the top public primary schools in Western Jamaica, there was a constant need for additional space, and so the additional facilities were extremely important for the long-term development of the school.
The existence of Barracks Road Primary dates back to 1871, and the institution has been through several changes since then. The school is recognized as a high performing institution and has, over the years, produced students of outstanding achievement, who have contributed at the national and community levels.