KINGSTON, Jamaica— The Member of Parliament (MP) for Manchester North Westen, Mikael Phillips is lamenting that despite acquiring 40 acres of land from Windalco Bauxite Company in 2014 for the construction of a new plant for the Mile Gully High School, the resources are yet to be provided for the project to move ahead.

Phillips voiced his disappointment on Tuesday during his contribution to the 2024/25 State of the Constituency Debate in the House of Representatives.

He also expressed that he was “jealous” after the MP for St Mary Western, Robert Montague told the House during his contribution to the debate, that in addition to a new school to be constructed in Jeffery Town to replace the one that was destroyed by fire some years ago, several other schools in his constituency were about to undergo major rehabilitation, including the addition of several classrooms and other facilities.

“We have had every Minister of Education (MoE) visit the physical school plant and visit the proposed new site. The Ministry of Education has confirmed that they do have possession of the 40 acres. I cannot count the number of times I have heard in sectoral presentations that the process of building a new high school will begin that financial year. We are still nowhere near that reality,” said Phillips.

He stated that the Mile Gully High is the only high school in his constituency with a capacity of 730 students. “A school plant of 1,200 to 1,500 students is needed. We only have six habitable classrooms for the 730 students,” he said.

Phillips told the House that, four years ago, two buildings were condemned by the health department and the education ministry.

“And let us not even mention the staffroom which has been leaking like a sieve, the bathrooms are not fit for the students, what we call the canteen is a joke, it’s neither fit for the cooking staff nor the students,” Phillips said.

He shared that two makeshift classrooms were constructed by teachers and students, with some materials that he, the school and “other interested parties” had donated.

“The infrastructure is not fit for a high school. I am again pleading for the Ministry of Education to look at Mile Gully High School as a priority. We are desperate to hear something positive about our new school plant,” he pleaded.

Noting the primary schools in his constituency were also in urgent need of attention, Phillips questioned why schools in rural communities are treated as if they are not to be centres of learning for our children.

“Most of our school infrastructure has not changed over the past many decades; the classrooms are hot, and the infrastructure is woefully inadequate for teachers to teach and our students to learn, and this needs to change,” he argued.