AN optimistic but realistic Minister of Education and Youth Fayval Williams announced on Friday that while her aim is to have the 85 public schools that were badly damaged by Hurricane Beryl refurbished for the beginning of the new school year on September 2, there are no guarantees.

“We are going to give it our all in terms of the severely damaged schools. Will we be 100 per cent ready? I am not going to stand here and say that because you heard the numbers, but I am pleased with the efforts so far in terms of engaging contractors and impressing on them the urgency of this,” Minister Williams told the
Jamaica Observer during a press conference at the ministry’s Heroes’ Circle offices in Kingston.

Williams was giving an update on the state of schools that were damaged by Beryl, which hit Jamaica as a Category 4 hurricane on July 3.

“What I do know is that we will ensure that, even if there is work going on, the school properties will be safe for our teachers, students and parents to enter and so on. Our goal is to ensure that schools can begin [having classes in September],” Williams added.

The minister said the cost of damage to public schools islandwide is so far estimated at $2.7 billion, but she indicated that as assessments continue the figure is likely to climb.

“The most current number we have is 309 primary and secondary schools that have been assessed as having suffered damage. We have segmented the schools into three priority levels. Priority one are those schools that were severely damaged; we have 85 of those schools and the estimated cost of damage at those schools is $1.42 billion. Examples of these priority schools exist in Region Five in parishes like St Elizabeth. Some of the names are the Bull Savannah Primary School, Sandy Bank Primary, Pedro Plains Primary, Munro College, Hampton School for Girls, among others in Region Five,” Williams said.

Category two and three schools are those which suffered minor damage, according to the minister.

“We only have six or so weeks until the reopening of schools. To date, the technical team from the ministry has identified contractors for schools in the priority one category — the ones that are severely damaged. They continue to carry out their assessments to finalise the procurement documents [so as] to assign registered contracts to carry out repairs and reconstruction.

“We will be using the single-source procurement methodology under emergency conditions, in keeping with the Public Procurement Act and policies. All regions will be disbursing emergency funds; that process has already started. And if you have not yet received, you are very close to receiving. This will be for cleaning exercises and other critical activities,” Williams told the press conference on Friday.

In the meantime she said there was relatively minor damage at childcare facilities across the island, but singled out Manning’s childcare facility in St Elizabeth.

“We note that damage was done to the facility’s kitchen, main dining room, dormitory, and farming equipment storeroom. Of greatest importance is that children in State care were safe during the hurricane and are safe since its passage,” the minister said.

The minister reported, too, that there was damage at some public libraries and youth innovation centres across the island.

She said: “There was some damage to the roofing at the Greater Portmore Branch, which resulted in its closure to the public until further notice. We also assessed our youth innovation centres and we note that there was very minor damage across them. We are happy to report that youth engagement continues in these spaces.”

Meanwhile, Williams said the National Education Trust is the entity under the Ministry of Education and Youth with responsibility for receiving donations on behalf of schools.

“Many people have been inquiring and we need to let them know how to do it.”

Individuals and organisations locally and overseas interested in making donations may contact the National Education Trust via e-mail at
info@net.org.jm