Tenesha Thomas, Gleaner Writer
EDUCATION MINISTER Maxine Henry-Wilson says she is disappointed with the government's inability to identify adequate and reliable contractors to undertake the refurbishing of schools.
This has had a negative impact on projects to provide additional school spaces.
CONTRACTORS OVERLOADED
"The contractors who would qualify, many of them are now overloaded and in terms of the timeliness of the work, we now have to see how we can find alternative ways," stressed Mrs. Henry-Wilson.
"If we could find some more contractors that are reliable and who can deliver, it would go a far way in speeding up the provision of additional school spaces," she added.
The Education Minister was speaking yesterday during the signing of a contract under the Primary Education Support Project (PESP) for the replacement of the Bromley All-Age School in St. Mary and the upgrading of the Gordon Town All-Age School in St. Andrew.
UPLIFTS COMMUNITY MORALE
She noted that the development of a school uplifts the morale of a community.
"We would like to continue to believe that schools represent a kind of lighthouse for communities and the state of the school is also psychologically the state of the community," said Mrs. Henry Wilson.
Under the PESP, 12 primary and all-age schools across the island will be furnished and equipped.
Five of these projects will comprise replacement or partial replacement of existing schools while two new schools will be constructed.
