Education Minister, Fayval Williams, has said that a new school building is to be constructed for the Burnt Savannah Primary School in St Elizabeth.

Williams made the announcement following a tour of the school last Friday with the Member of Parliament for St Elizabeth North Eastern, Delroy Slowley.

The school, which accommodates over 400 pupils, is an over 100-year-old wooden structure that is infested with termites.

Williams said an entirely new structure will be constructed to accommodate the students, ensuring access to up-to-date technology as well as more space for them.

“We’re talking about ensuring that our primary schools have computer labs in them now. So as we renovate, as we build new schools, we have to put that into the plan as well,” she said.

“Additionally, for the climate change that exists, our days getting hotter, we have to incorporate things into our design that will allow our school buildings to be cooler than how they are now,” added Williams.

Williams further shared that there were plans to transition the basic school into the government system.

“We’re looking at the basic school as well…to see how we can transition that to become a government infant school. And with that will come funding, in terms of infrastructure, but also in terms of the teachers who are here; because they will be integrated into the ministry,” said Williams.

For his part, Slowley described the tour of the institution as a “productive one”, noting that he was now patiently awaiting the plans discussed to be set in motion.

“It was indeed a great pleasure in having one of our hardest and most dedicated ministers and her team with us in North East St Elizabeth. The Burnt Savannah Primary School has been experiencing some infrastructural challenges for some time now, which I brought to the attention of our education minister,”Slowely said.

“The meeting was indeed a very productive one, we now patiently await to see the fruits thereof,” he added.