St Bess school to expand

Western Bureau:

With the demand for early childhood education becoming increasingly pronounced, the New Town Early Childhood Institution in St Elizabeth has now joined the growing list of schools poised for upgrading.

The expansion at New Town is being tackled under the Community Investment Programme (CIP), which falls under the ambit of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF). It is being funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Government of Jamaica.

On completion, the 47 students at New Town and the four-member staff will be the direct beneficiaries of the much-needed investment. Last Thursday, the JSIF signed the building contract with sponsors New Town Early Childhood Institution Board, paving the way for the start of the four-month project.

The scope of work for the project includes the construction of four new classrooms, a kitchen, a sick bay, an administrative area, sanitary facilities, a sewer and drainage system, and fencing.

Total cost of the project is J$20,599,478.80. As part of the condition for the approval for funding, the sponsors are required to come up with 11 per cent - which is approximately $1,495,000.00 - of the total project cost.

"Here in New Town, we feel that an investment in early childhood education is critical as it is the largest district within Black River," said Celia Dillon, project manager for CIP, during the signing ceremony. "

The New Town Early Childhood Institution, which also serves students from Logwood, Spring Park, Hodges, and Luana, is currently in a dilapidated state, which makes it a health risk, especially on account of its poor ventilation conditions. In addition, the inadequate space for the display of educational and indoor play equipment and the absence of a sick bay and designated dining area are negatively affecting the institution's bid to maintain its status as a certified early childhood institution.

In recent years, the demand for space has become an issue as each school year, approximately 20 potential students are turned away because of limited space and substandard facilities.

In highlighting the need to upgrade the school, Dillon stated that improving the standard of local education was of paramount importance as research had shown that 55.5 per cent of household heads had no academic qualifications.

The school will be upgraded in accordance with the requirements of the Early Childhood Commission, whose inspection in 2010 revealed that many aspects of the school's physical environment were lacking.