Ground was recently broken for the construction of the Liberty Hill Infant School at the site of the former Liberty Hill Primary School in Dumbarton, near Discovery Bay, which was destroyed by fire nearly two years ago.

The school, which is being funded through the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund at a cost of approximately $24.4 million, is expected to be ready for the new school term in September.

Minister of Education Ronald Thwaites said out of tragedy has come victory. He informed community members in attendance at the official ground breaking ceremony that they should make an icon of the school in the community. The Liberty Hill Infant school will house children who now attend the Liberty Hill Basic School.

Member of Parliament for North West St Ann Dr Dayton Campbell also urged residents to take care of the school.

“You have to protect it to ensure that generations in years to come will be able to attend this school,” he said.

Dr Campbell said after the disaster in 2014, based on the current numbers, an infant school was most feasible for the location and so he lobbied to have one built in the community.

He said with the new school expected to be opened this year, the community centre which now accomodates students can be used for its intended purposes.

Chief Executive Officer of CHASE Billy Heaven also encouraged the residents to protect the school.

“I challenge you as parents and community members that you have a stake in this project,” Heaven said as he urged residents to view it as an investment in their children future.

He said he believed that the current increase in literacy and numeracy was as a result of infant school departments across the island. He said that over the past 12 years, the CHASE fund has constructed some 567 schools across the island, investing over $3.5 billion in early childhood education. The organisation has not only built school, but has been involved in teacher training and schools feeding programmes.

Heaven said the organisation understands the need for early childhood education.

According to Heaven, when the CHASE Fund started in 2003, it found many things lacking in early childhood education. These included non-trained teachers, poor infrastructure, poor nutrition and a lack of play equipment.

Meanwhile Thwaites and Dr Campbell officially opened the Runaway Bay Infant School Department at the Runaway Bay All-Age School.

Lambert Pearson, principal of the institution, said with the new infant department the school is already reaping the benefits with improvement in literacy and numeracy among students entering grade one.

According to Dr Campbell, $5.4 million was allocated by the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme to aid in the construction of the school.

“It’s another milestone in the history of Runaway Bay,” he said.

Thwaites lauded the Runaway Bay All-Age School for its initiative in implementing an infant department.