EDUCATION Minister Ronald Thwaites says adequate furniture will be in place at Clan Carthy High School in Kingston next Monday to facilitate the full attendance of students.

The education minister’s announcement follows a meeting yesterday with representatives of the school’s board and management.

Thwaites said 120 desks and chairs were on order and would be delivered on the weekend, which will complete the initial shortfall of 300 pieces of furniture, 100 of which were renovated by the school and the remainder provided by the Ministry of Education.

Minister Thwaites told the school leaders that their decision to keep approximately 200 students away from school for a day, in order to cope with the lack of furniture, should have been referred to the Ministry of Education for prior consideration.

Noting that students’ attendance was paramount, Minister Thwaites instructed the school leaders to ensure that make-up classes were provided for the students who were absent.

In addition, Thwaites expressed concern at the high rate of damage to furniture and asked the school leaders to impress upon students at Clan Carthy High to take better care of school property. He also instructed the regional director to conduct a full inventory of the furniture at the school vis-à-vis the size of the student enrolment.