Basseterre: St. Kitts: In its quest to hold true to its mandate to provide a safe working and learning environment for teachers and students, the Ministry of Education has embarked on a campaign to strengthen the safety features and enhance the overall physical aesthetic of the Irish Town Primary School (ITPS).
Explaining the intricacies of the project, Permanent Secretary Mrs. Lisa Romaine Pistana remarked “In response to the tragic incident at ITPS, the Ministry of Education developed a short to medium-term upgrade plan which has three main projects running concurrently.
These projects were identified as critical to the future safety and security of the staff and students at the ITPS and therefore must be completed in the short term to ensure that they are returned to space. The three main projects were: Relocation and refurbishing of a space which will be used for the principal’s office; building a retaining wall and perimeter fence and the installation of security enclosures on the eastern and western breezeway.”
In a brief interview with Education Media Unit (EMU) Mr. Mitchell Gumbs, Assistant Managing Director, St. Kitts Masonry Products Ltd (SKMP), disclosed that his company became involved in the project after a conversation with Mrs. Lisa Romaine Pistana who solicited assistance from SKMP to ameliorate a breach in the ITPS property. He expressed, “Based on the request we [SKMP] got from the Ministry of Education, St. Kitts Masonry Products were able to donate 5 palettes of 8-inch blocks and 6 yards of concrete to remedy the area where the intrusion occurred. We were able to deliver the blocks and concrete yesterday [April 11] so I assume that the work is progressing smoothly to bring that to completion in the not-too-distant future”.
Mrs. Pistana conveyed gratitude to the corporate community for its assistance, “Special thanks are extended to our community partners for sponsoring these projects. The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) sponsored the security enclosures, security cameras and materials for refurbishing the new principal’s office. St. Kitts Masonry Products provided blocks and cement for the retaining wall and fence. Surrey Paving provided the labour for the retaining wall and fence.”
The Ministry of Education is hoping to have the staff and students return to their space by Monday 24th April 2023. They initially relocated as a result of a fatal incident that took place on the school premises in February this year.