All western schools to reopen Monday, declares Morris Dixon

Western Bureau:

Despite claims by several principals that their schools are not ready, Education Minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon is insisting that all schools across the ministry’s Region Four – covering Hanover, St James and Westmoreland – will reopen their doors for the start of the new school year on Monday.

Morris Dixon’s comments came as several schools that were extensively damaged during the passage of Hurricane Melissa last October prepare to continue operating under temporary arrangements while repairs are being carried out.

“I don’t have any schools at the moment [that will not reopen], based on the report from the regions. Every school will be open on Monday,” the minister said yesterday during a tour of Ferris Primary School in Westmoreland, where she assessed the institution’s readiness for the new academic year.

Morris Dixon acknowledged that reopening does not mean all repairs will be completed by the start of the new term.

“As I said, not all the repairs will be done, but they’ve put in contingency plans,” she said, noting that arrangements will vary from school to school, with some expected to operate on a shift system, while others will use tents or temporary timber structures until their classrooms are ready.

Morris Dixon also noted that the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information is particularly concerned about the comfort of students and teachers who will have to spend time in temporary facilities, particularly given the high temperatures being experienced in the country.

“In terms of the tents, NET (National Education Trust) is working with a provider to look at how you can have portable cooling units that they can use,” she said.

For the temporary timber structures, Morris Dixon said ventilation had been incorporated into their design.

“But the key thing is, we don’t want to be using them for very long,” she said. “So, the work is continuing during the term. And as soon as the work is finished, the classes will move out of the tents and into their classrooms.”

The temporary arrangements come as the Government continues its massive school rehabilitation programme following the hurricane, with 313 schools classified as priority-one institutions because they suffered severe damage.

“Those are the ones that were severely damaged and that had to be the priority in terms of the repairs,” Morris Dixon said.

However, progress has not been the same across all the affected schools.

“In some schools, it’s going really quick, like this one (Ferris). And in other schools, it’s going slower. And so, it’s been a mixed bag,” she said.

While some schools are expected to have their repairs completed by the end of September, others have October deadlines. Institutions requiring major reconstruction may not be completed until next year.

Morris Dixon said the shortages of labour and materials have made the undertaking even more difficult.

“When you’re trying to do 300 schools at the same time, while trying to do all the houses and all the businesses and the churches, it’s difficult. It’s a challenge. And it’s been a challenging situation,” she said.

Morris Dixon noted that the ministry has been stepping up its monitoring of the projects, including through unannounced visits and independent inspections.

“I’ll continue to show up unannounced. That’s not going to stop,” she promised.

According to Morris Dixon, other ministers and officials have also been visiting schools and comparing what they find with reports submitted by the contractors.

The Government is also procuring additional desks and chairs to replace those damaged during the hurricane, although Morris Dixon said the process would continue after the start of the term.

Beyond the immediate repairs, the minister said the Government was seeking to make schools better equipped to withstand future disasters.

“The key thing for us with doing the repairs is that we needed to do it so that the schools were better than before,” she said. “Because it doesn’t make sense to just put back what was there, and then it goes away again.”

She said measures such as rainwater harvesting, solar systems, stronger roofs and hurricane straps are being incorporated where possible.

“It was a big undertaking. It’s something that we’ve never done in our history,” she said.

She also pointed out that her ministry has procured hundreds of millions of dollars in textbooks for the new school year, with the last bill she saw amounting to about $700 million.

“We are providing a lot of books to our primary schools and our high schools,” she said, while urging principals and families to ensure that the books are properly cared for.

mickalia.kington@gleanerjm.com