Senator Julian Francis, Minister of Transport, Works, Urban Development and Local Government, speaking on radio last evening said, that a recent incident which took place at the Adelphi Secondary School was not intentional.
The SVG Teachers Union in a press release stated that the school is currently unfit for use as it poses a significant threat to the health and safety of staff and students and other users of the building.
Senator Francis said that plans have been put in place for officials of the Ministry of Education and BRAGSA Officials to sit months before the summer vacation and come up with a program of work based on reports submitted and inspections done at the various schools.
The Minister said, “They will work out a program and a budget and naturally the first chart that is done is quite normally an excessive number, 3 million dollars, maybe more”.
“It’s not possible to do 3 million dollars worth of work with so many different institutions and buildings in the short period of time or Summer vacation, although we did all 71 schools in 2001, with significant repairs to bathrooms and schools buildings”.
Francis said that with funds being as tight as they are, they try to shrink the budget as much as possible and somehow Adelphi Secondary slips through and was not done.
“Other schools buildings”, Francis said, “were done. The concentration that took place during the summer vacation was mainly in plumbing and electrical, upgrading, repairing, and enhancing the safety factors”.
“I know the situation at Adelphi Secondary looks gruesome and work has to be done, and I want to assure you work is being planned”.
The Minister said “Bragsa have done its assessment and submitted its quantities and cost, and I believe by cabinet completion this week which we will hold on Friday, a decision would be taken as to what we do then”.
By Ernesto Cooke
