Moneague College fire causes significant loss, says Holness

Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer

The Ministry of Education will have to fork out millions of dollars more than originally budgeted to assist Moneague College in St Ann to return to normalcy after Sunday's devastating fire that destroyed an administrative block at the institution.

The loss is also significant in that the destroyed section was originally the Moneague Hotel, one of Jamaica's first hotels, built around 1891, and which was a heritage site.

During a tour of the facility Sunday night, while the fire was still burning but under control, Education Minister Andrew Holness said a team of assessors would be deployed to begin analysing the situation.

"The Government will have to come to the assistance of the college, no doubt about that," Holness said. "As to how fast that can be done, we will have to do our assessment internally."

Holness, who flew in by helicopter from Kingston when news of the fire spread, said a multi-purpose building already constructed at the school needs some assistance to be further developed into classrooms and offices, and his ministry would see how best they could assist in that regard.

The minister said the fire would cause some dislocation at the school but not significant enough to prevent the school from reopening in September.

"It may cause some delay. The school may have to shift the reopening date, but certainly, school will proceed as normal for September."

Orientation at the college was originally set for August 23.

Holness described the destruction as "a significant loss" to education and to Jamaica's national heritage, as the building was a heritage site.

Damage estimate

Senior deputy superintendent of the St Ann Fire Department, Rupert Francis, told The Gleaner yesterday that an estimate of the damage would be ready later this week.

Eight classrooms, 12 offices, several residences for lecturers, a music room and photocopying room, as well as other areas, were destroyed in the blaze that lasted more than four hours.

Francis said, however, that the cause of the fire would not be determined for another week as investigators from Kingston are being called in to assist.

Five fire units from St Ann's Bay, Ocho Rios and Linstead responded to the call.

Several soldiers from the nearby Jamaica Defence Force Moneague training camp and residents of the Moneague community were also on hand to assist and drew special commendation from the Holness.