THE GLEANER: Education, Youth and Information Minister Senator Ruel Reid said the Government would be constructing five high schools across Jamaica over a five-year period, beginning in the 2018-2019 financial year. One billion dollars is to be budgeted each year over the five-year period.
Reid made the announcement while delivering the main address at the handover ceremony for 10 classrooms constructed with funds from the Jamaica Social Investment Fund at the Old Harbour Primary School in St Catherine yesterday.
“Now that we have extended the opportunities for every student to get a high-school education, there are not enough high schools, so we need to build some more,” he said.
“We have just completed the current cycle of the education system transformation programme, so next year, we are going to get the funding in place so we can start the building programme to deliver these schools in five years,” the education minister disclosed, adding that five was not enough, but it would address some of the problems.
He said Old Harbour, Christiana, south-west St Ann and St James are among the areas where the schools will be located.
Meanwhile, acting principal of the Old Harbour Primary School, George Goode, said the construction of the 10 classrooms at a cost of $83 million, of which $4 million was provided by the community, will greatly help the school to scrap the shift system that has been in place for over 40 years.
“We are elated. Our children will now have more contact learning time with teachers, so we will see improvements in the literacy and numeracy capacities of our students,” Goode told The Gleaner.
Education, Youth and Information Minister Senator Ruel Reid said the Government would be constructing five high schools across Jamaica over a five-year period, beginning in the 2018-2019 financial year. One billion dollars is to be budgeted each year over the five-year period.
Reid made the announcement while delivering the main address at the handover ceremony for 10 classrooms constructed with funds from the Jamaica Social Investment Fund at the Old Harbour Primary School in St Catherine yesterday.
“Now that we have extended the opportunities for every student to get a high-school education, there are not enough high schools, so we need to build some more,” he said.
“We have just completed the current cycle of the education system transformation programme, so next year, we are going to get the funding in place so we can start the building programme to deliver these schools in five years,” the education minister disclosed, adding that five was not enough, but it would address some of the problems.
He said Old Harbour, Christiana, south-west St Ann and St James are among the areas where the schools will be located.
Meanwhile, acting principal of the Old Harbour Primary School, George Goode, said the construction of the 10 classrooms at a cost of $83 million, of which $4 million was provided by the community, will greatly help the school to scrap the shift system that has been in place for over 40 years.
“We are elated. Our children will now have more contact learning time with teachers, so we will see improvements in the literacy and numeracy capacities of our students,” Goode told The Gleaner.
CAPTION: Senator Ruel Reid, Minister of Education, Youth and Information