The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

MORE than $4 million in school reconstruction contracts have been awarded to get public schools in Grand Bahama ready for reopening in September, Education Minister Jeffrey Lloyd announced this week in Grand Bahama.

Major reconstruction is needed to get government schools in line with COVID-19 requirements, and hurricane-ready to serve as shelters, according to government officials during the contract announcement this week at the Office of the Prime Minister in Grand Bahama.

Minister Lloyd said that the government has committed some $4.5 million for the reconstruction of 15 schools in Grand Bahama.

“These contracts represent the largest reinvestment in terms of school reconstruction this year in GB,” Minister of Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction Iram Lewis said.

Minister of State for Grand Bahama Kwasi Thompson also highlighted that importance of the contracts that will provide employment and help restore the GB economy, which has suffered due to Dorian and the COVID-19 shutdown.

The Ministry of Education schools, particularly in GB and Abaco, sustained “serious” damage during Hurricane Dorian, said Minister Lloyd.

“We are quite aware of the significant and unprecedented damage that our plants have suffered…, he said. The damage has been very serious, particularly in the most critical segments of the edifice - its roof,” Mr Lloyd said.

The minister stressed that the repair of schools is critical and must begin immediately, with some adjustments to be made as a result of COVID-19.

Mr Lloyd indicated that there needs to be additional hygienic outposts, spigots, and bathroom adjustments. “We need to ensure our students maintain hygienic standards required to ensure that at least from an educational standpoint the spread of the coronavirus is not facilitated,” he explained.

Additionally, the education minister acknowledged the contribution of many international and local NGOs who came to their rescue, repairing schools in the immediate aftermath of Dorian.

“They greatly facilitated the ability of schools to resume their normal operations and enabled us to carry on the important work of training and developing, and advancing the interests of our young people,” he said.

He is confident that the GB contractors selected will be able to have school construction completed “well in advance” of September.

“In addition to Hurricane Dorian, other difficult circumstances of the world like to come to visit The Bahamas known as COVID-19. So, we have been set back as a country and certainly as an education system, especially in continuing with the work of training our young people. We believe we have done a remarkable job in responding to that when last year we instituted our virtual school, which was the first of its kind in the Caribbean, and of course, a unique creation in the Bahamas.”

Minister Lloyd commended students and said teachers and administrators rose to the occasion by utilizing all the various education platforms available to them, including the MOE’s virtual platform.

“We are excited about the reopening of school. It is going to be different. You know that we have to observe as health authorities have prescribed all various protocols that are required necessary and we will. And that is why the reparation of our physical structure is so important,” he stressed.

Minister Lewis noted that weaknesses exposed in the construction of the public schools during Dorian will be corrected by contractors under the strict supervision of School Repair Programme Consultant Burton Miller.

“We selected a GB team we know will live up to the expectations. These schools are so important; COVID changed how we live, and initially, gymnasiums were our focus for hurricane preparedness and shelters, however, we are now shifting to the classrooms to ensure they are done in a timely manner, not only for reopening but in terms of hurricane preparations, putting our people in a position where lives can be saved,” he said.

State Minister for Grand Bahama Senator Kwasi Thompson stressed that “hurricane preparedness is a huge issue in GB,” and said that contracts will create many jobs in Grand Bahama.

“I want to say three words - jobs, jobs, and jobs. That has been the focus of the OPM in GB because what this represents today is over $4m worth of contracts, work, and jobs for GB. It is absolutely necessary that post-Dorian and while we come out of this COVID experience that we continue to rebuild the economy of GB, and these contractors could not come at a better time here in GB,” he said.

According to Mr Kwasi Thompson, more than 150 people would be immediately put to work at schools.