All public schools to be ready for September school term

All public schools will be operational for the new academic year come September.

That’s the assurance from Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Dr Kasan Troupe.

Shaloy Smikle reports.

Six hundred and eighty of the 1,010 public schools sustained damage during last October’s passage of Hurricane Melissa. Of that figure, 309 were severely damaged.

Most of those schools are in western parishes.

Speaking on Nationwide’s Back to School Townhall on Tuesday, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Dr Kasan Troupe, says all schools will be fully functional on Monday, September 7, when the new school year begins.

However, she points out that some schools in the West may pose a challenge.

According to Dr. Troupe, temporary arrangements are being developed to accommodate students for in-person instruction while the restoration efforts for those impacted Western schools are at varying levels.

Dr Troupe adds that security measures will also be put in place at the temporary classroom structures while the repairs continue on the school buildings.