Overcrowded school gets $31.6m help

Western Bureau:The teaching-learning process at the Albert Town Primary and Infant School in Trelawny has got a major boost thanks to the multimillion-dollar plans to upgrade the school plant, which should ultimately allow the 651 students to enjoy an enhanced learning experience.

The project, which is being implemented through a loan of US$12.85 million, has been funded by the Caribbean Development Bank under the Jamaica Social Investment Fund's (JSIF) Community Investment Programme. The JSIF has budgeted approximately $27,578,365.65 for the project, with an additional $4,060,000 in kind expected from community contributions.

The school was selected by the JSIF because of its heavy dependence on welfare. Approximately 40 per cent of the students at the school are on the PATH programme.

On completion, the upgraded school will feature an infant area, complete with its own administrative and sanitary facilities to include four classrooms, a kitchen, a sick bay, sewer and drainage facilities, and a covered corridor. A playing area equipped with a jungle gym, slides, and swings will also be constructed. The project is slated for completion in four months.

Rhonda Lumsden-Lue, the general manager of human resources, administration and communications at the JSIF, said that the expanded facilities would serve students from surrounding communities to include Stettin, Allsides, Boucher, Warsop, Dutch Hill, Buttup Town, and Wilson Valley.

"At present, the facilities in the school are overcrowded, and the students in the infant school do not have their own bathroom or playing facilities," said Lumsden-Lue, noting that the infant department was housed in the same building as the primary department, something that is not recommended by the Early Childhood Commission (ECC).

no certification

Additionally, the infant department is located furthest away from the bathrooms, and as a consequence, teachers have reported that the children often have 'accidents' before they reach the bathrooms. Because of the current awkward situation at the school, the ECC has refused to grant certification to the institution.

While it is recommended that infant-school children have their own designated play area, they and their primary school counterparts share the same play area, which is problematic because of the aggression often shown by the older children.

According to Lumsden-Lue, there is much evidence to show that the school has maintained high enrolment and attendance rate and that it has been efficient in managing its limited resources.

"They built the current toilets from their own efforts and have done painting and other projects on their own," said Lumsden-Lue. "We must commend the sponsor body and the Albert Town Benevolent Society, which has pursued this project as a priority. The Society is very active in the community, and this is encouraging when sustainability of the project is considered."