BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – WITH the Basseterre High School open to students and staff for the 2014-2015 school year, Minister of Education the Hon. Nigel Carty has outlined some of the proactive measures which his Ministry is taking to ensure the continued well-being of staff and students of this and other learning institutions.
During an interview with FreedomFM today (Sept. 2), Minister Carty explained that much work has been done on the school over the summer vacation.
This work was predominantly remediation work which was recommended by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI) in order to rid the environment there of some of the contaminants which some believed may have led to illnesses experienced by occupants of the school.
Carty indicated that the implementation of these recommendations has been satisfactorily completed.
“And I would want to say to you that as you rightly said, we have been able to work with the Teachers Union, the PTA the management for the Basseterre High School to implement the recommendations which have been put forward by both CARIRI and CARPHA and of course other groups that have worked with us towards resolution of the issues at the Basseterre High school and we have been able to satisfactorily complete those recommendations.”
As an upcoming venture, the Education Minister mentioned a Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) project – funded by the Caribbean Development Bank – which would see “renovation works to the third form and second form blocks on the eastern campus of the (BHS) school. So there is always going to be something at the Basseterre High School as indeed at other schools around the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis because we now take a more proactive view towards the maintenance of the infrastructure.”
While most other schools on the island opened their doors on Monday, Carty indicated that the Irishtown Primary and the Cayon Primary School would be opening tomorrow (Sept. 3) and Monday (Sept. 8) respectively as there is some work being done there to prepare the premises for use.
He said the new school year “is off to a good start”, a situation with which the Ministry is pleased.
Meanwhile President of the St. Kitts Teachers Union Bishop Ron Collins had indicated shortly before the school year began, that the Union is in support of the recommendations of CARIRI and CARPHA and is satisfied that the SKTU was involved in the implementation processes.
