A total of $1.6 billion is being allocated to three high schools in the Kingston Western region for long-overdue upgrades, Education Minister Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon told their principals on Thursday.

Morris Dixon, who made the disclosure at the Kingston Western Principals’ Awards function, identified the three schools as Denham Town High, Kingston High, and St Andrew Technical High (STATHS).

Morris Dixon said Kingston Western Member of Parliament Desmond McKenzie had long advocated the need for educational support in the constituency. Now, Denham Town High is set to receive funds to assist with the rebuilding of its facilities.

“Denham Town High School, your Member of Parliament has talked non-stop to my ministry about that project; it is currently at the Public Procurement Committee, which is its last step before going to Cabinet,” she said, adding that rebuilding would start within two years after Cabinet approval.

The news delighted Principal Yvette Richards-Thompson who said the rebuilding will allow teachers to provide quality service.

“The building that was proposed has been a long time coming. It is an administrative building which includes vocational areas and some other essential areas. With this now we will be able to cater more to our students’ needs,” Richards-Thompson said, adding that the new facilities will make the learning environment more comfortable.

“One of our main buildings was damaged by the earthquake two years ago, and that building housed four classrooms plus two science labs, and so that is a significant loss. And considering also safety, we do not want buildings that would pose a risk to our students,” she said.

Denham Town High is experiencing a major revolution, with the results of its students in external examinations improving rapidly while instances of misconduct have declined sharply.

The school recorded an 88 per cent pass rate in mathematics in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) this year, up from 11 per cent last year, with its overall pass rate at the CSEC level improving from 48 per cent last year to 73 per cent this year.

On Wednesday Richards-Thompson told the Jamaica Observer that the improvement was the result of deliberate strategic planning, including providing extra classes and identifying and addressing students’ learning gaps.

Meanwhile McKenzie, at Thursday’s function, said there is a need for improved buildings at Denham Town High School, and this has impacted learning for a long time.

Principal of Denham Town High School Yvette Richards-Thompson is delighted with the announcement by Minister of Education Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon that money will be allocated to build a new administrative building at the Kingston Western-based school. (Joseph Wellington)

“Now [that] we have reached to the stage where these issues will be solved, I am looking forward to it, and all of this will only enhance our education,” he said, adding that the school has faced these challenges for more than 40 years.

The funds being allocated to Kingston High School will be used to build a perimeter wall.

Morris Dixon said that after Cabinet approval the building of the wall would take six to nine months.

Kingston High Principal Jermaine Loutin said the school has been without a wall for over 20 years.

“We’re happy that it is now in a state that it’s going to be [built]. This will now help our safety and security. It was a serious issue when we have our community functions, when we have our sports day, the entire community comes and we’re not able to keep the children as safe as we can,” Loutin said.

At STATHS the funds will be used to construct a new lab.

“A lot of STATHS labs look like they were there from a long time ago, and we need to update,” Morris Dixon said, adding that the school will be outfitted with “a state-of-the-art renewable energy lab”.

Principal Dr Worrel Hibbert said the school has explored options for building the skills needed to understand renewable energy.

“It is a wonderful idea; we have already put together a curriculum so essentially we are just waiting on the minister and the lab to be built… We have been doing renewable energy classes; we already started those at the school,” Hibbert said.

Morrison Dixon also told the principals the education ministry intends to create two performing arts schools within the next two years, one of which will be in the area.

“We’re not building it new, we’re using an existing school and converting it into a performing arts school, changing its curriculum, and then adding the state-of-the-art auditorium where they can do performances,” Morris Dixon said.