The Tribune

STUDENTS from Mangrove Bush Primary will be back in class sooner than expected as their school is to be amalgamated with Lower Deadman’s Cay Primary while the extensive repair work following the damage caused by Hurricane Joaquin is finished.

After Mangrove Bush Principal Carla Rodgers looked for a temporary facility for the 78 students – nine pre-schoolers and 69 first to sixth graders – she spoke with her counterpart at Lower Deadman’s Cay, Lucy Adderley, and they agreed to amalgamate the two schools until the work is complete.

Director of Education Lionel Sands, who visited Long Island at the weekend, said it was a viable option. “I felt a little disheartened for Mrs Rodgers when we were there on Sunday, realising that her students would have been the only ones not slated to return to school this week when the official statement was given for the return of students to their respective schools throughout Long Island,” he said.

“Ensuring that students are able to remain on their islands and return to their schools is a priority of mine for many reasons. In the first instance, from a community level, it is important that they are able to stay home rather than be displaced so as not to add more trauma to their lives. Secondly, at the national level, we know that schools are the bedrock of family island communities and the migration of students to other islands, be it New Providence, Abaco or wherever, could lead to the death of a community as some may opt not to return.”

Mr Sands said that each Long Island community is working together to ensure that no one, no school and no settlement is left behind in the rebuilding/restoration process. “As long as the principals agreed this could happen, I had no objections. This was in fact an initial thought of mine, but considering that we were sending the children from Morrisville Primary to Lower Deadman’s Cay Primary, I did not want it to be overwhelming. However, merging the three schools still gives them a student population of 179 students and we know that that number is less, given the fact that some students from all those schools have left the island.”

Mangrove Bush Primary School will have to be properly sanitised to safeguard the health of the students after suffering extensive flood damage, which has meant the repair/restoration efforts are more intricate and require multiple agencies and phases. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said the process will not be rushed to avoid having to react to situations later on.

An administrative and technical team has started arriving on the island and will be there for at least two weeks to provide the necessary physical and psychological support.