THE education ministry says, come the start of the new academic year, which is just over three weeks away, it will be providing schools most affected by the ongoing drought with water to ensure that their operations are not hampered.

This includes tanks, and gutters which are to be prepared for rainwater harvesting. Education Minister Ronald Thwaites said that the tanks will be filled, or provided, closer to the time when schools are to be reopened.

The minister noted that this is because of the experience last year where the supplies were used up before school gates officially opened.

“Last year, the tanks that were filled were quite empty by the time school began. We are timing it a bit better this time,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

The minister said hundreds of schools are being targeted for assistance, which will be provided in some instances, in partnership with private sector entities and alumni groups.

He said, while he could not provide an estimate of the cost to the ministry and the National Water Commission (NWC), the schools themselves will not have to pay for the water.

The education minister noted the criticisms he received a year or two ago for suggesting that parents should assist the schools with water where possible. But he stressed anyway that, “If a school needs water and you have a truck or van and you can carry a drum of water, please do so, we need to be reasonable with each other. Asking students to bring drinking water to school is an important issue as well, (and) the janitorial staff must share responsibly in whatever supply the schools have”.

At the same time, Thwaites said the importance of taking extra care with hygiene and sanitation will be impressed upon the administrative and teaching staff.

“Our principles and teachers would be well attuned to the need for special hygiene provision, but bulletins will be issued to the schools with relevant instructions as soon as the schools are ready to reopen,” he said.

Additionally, he said the ministry will continue to include as much material as is age-appropriate into the social studies curriculum on climate change, given that the current drought is not a one-off occurrence, and is influenced by changing weather patterns.

“We hope that it will improve the conservation tactics and habit of both the students and staff in our schools. That’s a major effort that we hope to advance this year,” he stated.

On Tuesday, the NWC announced even more stringent supply restrictions for Corporate Area customers who are served by the Hope and Mona systems. These customers are now receiving water every third day, instead of every other day.

Acting NWC president, Mark Barnett, said because of the worsening drought, the agency had no choice but to implement stricter supply measures. The new restrictions took effect on Wednesday and affect areas including: Mona, Hope Flats, Mona Heights, Papine, Mountain View, Hope Pastures, August Town, Old Hope Road, New Kingston, Liguanea, Gordon Town, Hope Road, Hope Pastures and adjoining communities. Barnett said the supply experience will vary but that the NWC is trying to find solutions for the areas which are suffering the most.

In the meantime, NWC communications manager, Charles Buchanan on Wednesday, told the Observer that it was not unusual for some areas to still be receiving normal supply. He said communities which are served by wells, for example, would not be affected in the same manner as those areas that are directly supplied by the NWC’s systems.