KINGSTON, Jamaica — Students at Ferry Basic School in St Andrew will return to a refreshed and improved learning environment when school reopens, following extensive Labour Day enhancement works carried out by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) and its partners.

The improvements include roof repairs and structural strengthening works; demolition and reconstruction of the school’s kitchen; landscaping of the play area; playground improvements; drain cleaning; plumbing repairs; construction of two-bathroom vanities; repainting of sections of the school; and other general renovation works.

The project also included the installation of corrugated steel mesh covers over drainage areas as part of efforts to improve safety and enhance the overall school environment for students and staff.

Customer Service Manager at the UDC, Diane Hanson, told JIS News that the project formed part of the UDC’s corporate Labour Day initiative, with approximately $1.7 million invested in remedial and upgrade works at the institution.

“We recognised that when we came here, the kitchenette, for example, was not functioning and we realised that our children having a warm meal for lunch is important instead of just having snacks,” Hanson said.

“What we have done is to carry out repair works in the kitchen. We actually rebuilt the cabinets and put in the necessary infrastructure to make sure that when we leave here today, they have a functioning kitchen and our children can enjoy a very warm meal daily,” she continued.

She further informed that the school was selected for this year’s Labour Day project because of its proximity to the Raintree Development Complex, one of the agency’s flagship projects.

— JIS

Customer Service Manager, Urban Development Corporation (UDC), Diane Hanson (left); Junior Civil Engineer, Kuffy-Hi Smith, UDC (right) and Landscape Supervisor, UDC, Christopher Cole, paint a section of the Ferry Basic School in St. Andrew on Labour Day, May 25. The school was among several educational institutions and community spaces to benefit from rehabilitation works carried out by UDC and its partners on Labour Day.