No money in govt's coffers for new school - Walwyn
The Minister was questioned on this issue by Third District Representative Hon. Julian Fraser, RA during the ninth sitting of the second session of the second House of Assembly. Hon. Fraser asked whether the Minister was prepared to exercise a previous option to build a new school following a mould outbreak at one of the schools of the Territory.
The question followed concerns that arose following the relocation of students of the Isabella Morris Primary school due to the mould outbreak. Questions had been raised by concerned parties about whether a new school would be built to accommodate the students of the school. The students have since been temporarily placed at the Cane Garden Bay Community Centre.
Hon. Walwyn said he had been informed that the cost to construct a new school would be in the region of $2-$4M and took a jab at the former Virgin Islands Party (VIP) government when he stated that several schools could have been built previously if priorities were set in the right order.
He described the mould situation at the Isabella Morris Primary school as an unfortunate situation and stated that it was one which his Ministry continued to give urgent attention.
“It is important to note,” Hon. Walwyn stated, “that there are no monies in the Ministry’s budget to build a new school at this time and permission would have to be given through the Ministry of Finance and we know that will be difficult in the short to medium term.”
The Minister said that all options before the government were being explored diligently.
Hon. Walwyn also stated that the government would be also be looking at the needs of all the schools since there were other schools that need to be repaired with some needing substantial work. He added that an assessment would be taken at the appropriate time for this.
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22 Responses to “No money in govt's coffers for new school - Walwyn”
Our children are the future and we need to invest in our children. Government needs to get their acts together and put the money where it is needed.
M....n has good ideas but his heart is not pure. He seems to be the kind of person that strives on trying to keep power by destroying others at ALL cost. That is not good.
We all want to be problem solver by taking the easy way out,just build a school and everything is alright. I don't mind building the school , if thats the way to go, but make sure its the state of the art of a school. Make everything computerized, or a mattere of fact, forget all the structure and just have school on line. Yes some now laughing my suggestion, but this country is heading into a futurist zone and it is not prepared. In Singapore the student knows nothing about penmanship, everything is done on computer,every school lessons, assignment, and grades is online. We want to shell out money to some contract, who would increase his invoices like rain on duck back.
I suggest Mr. Minister, get a contract if you are going to build a school and get some of the expat (many of them skillful) to get some volunteer work on the school, especially those that got their papers, 50 of them can lay all the blocks, another 50 tie the steel get people to help the community they live in , their children will benefit. But only build a school if they cannot get raid of the mould. You are a businessman does business the old fashion way, it was a principle back in the days, let it work for us today, each man put their hand to the plough.
goin happen now if all the schools tutn up with mold issues