$250 million allocated for more classrooms

To alleviate the shift system and overcrowding in schools, the Government has earmarked $250 million for additional classrooms under the Education Transformation Programme.

This is outlined in the Estimates of Expenditure, tabled in the House of Representatives by the Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr Nigel Clarke, on February 10.

The project will be implemented under the Ministry of Education and Youth's National Education Trust Programme and is funded by the Government of Jamaica.

The extended timeline for the project is April 2022 to March 2024.

For the 2022/2023 fiscal year, the anticipated targets are the commencement of construction of administrative blocks, construction of classroom blocks and pre-contract activities for auditoriums.

Meanwhile, up to December 2021, works at Mount St Joseph High School in Manchester, were completed for Phase III - fifth form block (Grade 11) and Phase IV- sixth form block (Grade 12).

Also completed were the architectural design for the remaining buildout of the third form (Grade 9) and fourth form (Grade 10), the auditorium and the administrative block.

The Estimates will be considered by the Standing Finance Committee of the House beginning on March 1.

- JIS News 

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