BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, October 05, 2022 (SKNIS): Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education the Honourable Dr. Geoffrey Hanley during a meeting with the management and staff of the Joshua Obadiah Primary School on October 04, 2022, stated that the Ministry of Education is ready to begin work on the New Basseterre High School and Joshua Obadiah Primary School.
“I know it has been a sacrifice having lost your school, I know it is always better at home. Nonetheless, I think you guys have an amazing working environment but it is still not a school. And, we have been working vigorously to ensure that the Joshua Obadiah Primary School is built,” said Minister Dr. Hanley. “It is going to be a state-of-the-art primary school. I saw the drawing that Public Works did and we indicated to them some of the things that we want to see included. So, you will have one of the modern primary schools when it comes to renovation. It is our intention as a government, as a ministry to do much work that is needed on our schools,”
The Joshua Obadiah Primary School suffered a massive loss due to a fire earlier this year and since then students and staff alike have been hosting classes at an alternative location.
As previously announced by Minister Dr. Hanley, the Ministry of Education will be moving forward with building the New Basseterre High School. He said that “It is our intention to use the two-year period while the new Basseterre High School is being built and completed to bring all of our schools up to a better standard.” Minister Dr. Hanley stated that tenders for the demolition of the old structure of the Basseterre High School will be made public by the end of October.
Equally important, the Ministry of Education has embarked on an island wide school rehabilitation project.
“We have embarked on phase one where we are rebuilding all of our bathrooms in all of our primary and secondary schools, starting of course, on a priority basis since some of our schools’ bathrooms are very deplorable. But I must say, however, that the majority of the bathrooms that I have visited in the rural areas are not only clean but they are also well-kept and that must be commended… We will also be looking at the upgrades of electricity in a number of our schools. A very costly venture but we need to put the money where it needs to be spent,” said Minister Dr. Hanley.
Minister Dr. Hanley further indicated that at the end of the rehabilitation project all the schools on the island would be in much better condition.