OCHO RIOS, St Ann — With school officials unable to repair, in time for September, a St Ann’s Bay Infant School block recently razed by fire, president of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association La Sonja Harrison has stressed the urgent need for more government funding for infrastructure within the education sector.

The school’s brain builder block was extensively damaged on June 20. No one was injured during the blaze.

Speaking with the Jamaica Observer, Harrison said during her discussions with school administrators, they had indicated that the damaged block is beyond rehabilitation and a new one is to be erected.

“It will take a little bit much in terms of them returning to normal. This summer period will not be enough to provide enough time to erect a new building. Based on assessments, they’re suggesting that it can’t be retrofitted, that they would abandon that all together and erect a new building,” she said. “They do have land space, so there are the explorations and talks currently … with the Ministry of Education in terms of how to use that space to provide a new building for this school.”

She underscored that this brings into focus the need for school infrastructure to be prioritised.

“It continues to beg the question if what we do spend on education is really adequate. We are aware — it is not a secret, parents know this, corporate societies, persons who pass through who attended many of these school — that many schools, their infrastructural development has not changed since … when the building was originally erected. As a country we really determine how much will it really cost us to offer quality education in a safe space. We have an Occupational Health and Safety Bill to be passed and our schools have to meet these standards,” she added.

In the meantime, she said the school has taken on a blended format for classes.

“The school has pretty much been resourceful in how it is that they meet the needs of the students to conclude the school year. Currently they’re in the state of assessment and rehearsals for the school leaving exercise. The students are attending school and [there is] a staggered approach to make use of the building that is currently accessible. That building is rostered in to accommodate the different year groupings to come in for their period of assessment,” she said.