HER eyes glowed as she spoke of how as a 15 year-old back in 1971, she started the Sanguinetti Basic School at a local church in Sanguinetti just east of Spalding in North West Clarendon.

“There were a lot of children around and I saw the need for the school… it (entry to the school) was free, I just got a little bit (of money) from the church,” explained Carmeleater Dunkley.

She was a part of a large crowd of Sanguinetti residents who turned out recently to witness the formal opening of the newly built Sanguinetti Early Childhood Institution — the outgrowth of the seed she planted 39 years ago.

“I am feeling very proud (and) very happy, very, very happy…” said Dunkley, who is now an early childhood teacher in Christiana, without formal ties to the school in Sanguinetti, though she hopes “to join the staff some day”.

Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller, who delivered the main address, cut the ribbons to formally declare the new school building open. It was built with an $8.5-million grant from the CHASE (Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education) Fund, bolstered by the labour of the community.

Started in January 2003, CHASE is registered under the Companies Act to receive, distribute, administer and manage the monetary contributions from the lottery companies for sports development, early childhood education, health, art and culture.

Forced to change location several times since its humble beginnings, the Sanguinetti Early Childhood Institution, which has 63 children registered, has three classrooms, a reading and dining area, an office, a sick bay and modern bathroom facilities.

The school opening provided a rare opportunity for unity across the party political divide. Former People’s National Party (PNP) MP for North West Clarendon and current councillor Richard Azan, who is most credited for the newly built basic school, and current Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) MP Michael Stern joined Simpson Miller in insisting that party politics had no place in education.

Both Azan and Stern pledged to work together in the interest of education in Sanguinetti and the wider North West Clarendon. And they, along with Simpson Miller and several other speakers, urged the community to take “ownership” of the new facility and to protect it from those who would “tear it down”.

Azan recalled much tribulation in the building of the school, including the dismissal of the original contractor because he failed to fulfil his obligations.

Simpson Miller emphasised that the political opposition was committed to partnering with the Government in education.

“The Opposition will never play politics with education. We have always given and will continue to give full support on education. We will support anything in the interest of our children and our people…” she told a highly supportive audience packed in the Sanguinetti Primary School.

Against a backdrop of the current harsh economic times and rising costs, including pending increases in taxi and bus fares, Simpson Miller urged the Bruce Golding-led JLP Government to ensure that children were “protected” so they could remain in school.

Already, she said, many parents were choosing between sending their children to school and paying bus fares to go to work “so that they can feed their family for the week”.

She also called on parents to make the necessary sacrifices to ensure “that no matter what” their children attended school. She cited the late Professor Rex Nettleford whom she credited for assisting in her own university training as one who had evolved to greatness from a humble background because of education.

Emphasising the importance of learning in the first few years of a child’s life, the former prime minister urged implementation of “the expansion and acceleration of efforts in early childhood training” in line with the National Strategic Plan. Additionally, she recommended accelerated certification and “a salaried reclassification exercise for qualified early childhood teachers”.

The Opposition Leader praised the role of the CHASE Fund which begun under her watch as Minister of Sport. She paid tribute to business executive Howard Hamilton who came up with the idea of channeling funds from gaming through CHASE to the social sector.

CHASE’s project director, Paulette Mitchell said her organisation had so far funneled $4 billion to projects islandwide, including $1.4 billion to the early childhood sector and $100 million to projects in Clarendon.

Carmeleater Dunkley cap:

DUNKLEY… I am feeling very proud

Opposition sanguinetti cap:

Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller hugs Tash Marie Collins who sang a solo at the ceremony to mark the opening of the new Sanguinetti Basic School building. (Photos: Gregory Bennett)

New sanguinetti cap:

The new Sanguinetti Basic School in Sanguinetti, Clarendon.

Sanguinetti opens cap:

Opposition leader Portia Simpson Miller is flanked by former MP for North West Clarendon Richard Azan and project manager for the CHASE Fund Paulette Mitchell as she cuts the ribbon to the gate of the newly built Sanguinetti Basic School recently.