When the new school term starts, over 400 students from Union Island, which was devastated by Hurricane Beryl, will continue their primary and secondary education on mainland St. Vincent.
Last Sunday, prime minister Ralph Gonsalves said it is unlikely that the schools on the island will be ready for September because of the other things that would be necessary in the community, including housing.
“On Union Island, there are 202 secondary school students and 250 in two primary schools. What we are doing is putting money into the estimates. In the supplementary estimates, fix up and extend the old teachers college, which was Richmond Gabriel University, and extend it. We’ll have to combine the two primary schools. There’s no problem with putting 250 students in one primary school. We have schools on the mainland that are significantly larger than that”.
According to Gonsalves, the government would also have to address the issue of accommodations for teachers and parents.
“We’ll have to bring up the teachers. Many of them are down there. Many of them are from Union Island. And we have to have at least one parent. Therefore, we have requested the Ministry of Tourism to reserve enough guest house space for the next ten months, now that Carnival has concluded. If you have to bring 450 students and at least one parent, that’s 900. And the teachers another hundred. You need to allocate space for approximately a thousand individuals and ensure adequate support for them”.
Gonsalves stated that some individuals, such as those with family or friends, may choose to remain with them, and that’s perfectly acceptable. Additionally, there are students who may be accepted into specific secondary or primary schools. However, the number of such individuals is likely to be relatively small.
The prime minister is adamant about not wanting any student to face disadvantages.
“I want all my children, regardless of their location in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, to begin their instructional time at approximately the same time. And for students in the affected areas, not to be disadvantaged,” Gonsalves said.
Source link : https://www.stvincenttimes.com/union-island-students-relocate-st-vincent-september/
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Publish date : 2024-07-16 18:54:15
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