BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — CONSTRUCTION of the newly rebuilt Joshua Obadiah Williams Primary School in Molineux is expected to be completed by October, with Government officials targeting the start of the January academic term for students to begin using the facility.
The EC$8 million project, which began more than a year ago, is progressing steadily. Construction is being carried out simultaneously by three firms across multiple sections of the site.
Structural Engineer Jared Joseph provided an update during a recent press conference, describing the development as a major upgrade designed to benefit not only students and teachers, but the wider Molineux community as well.
“It would have been easy to rebuild a structure with the same size and similar specifications,” Joseph said. “Instead, the Public Works Department chose to design a state-of-the-art facility aimed at improving the quality of life for students, staff, and the wider community.”
According to Joseph, the original 8,400-square-foot school has been expanded to approximately 25,500 square feet — tripling the size of the previous structure.
The new facility will include larger classrooms, upgraded science laboratories, expanded staff areas, dedicated bathrooms for teachers, and a library for students. Teachers will also benefit from larger staff rooms, a designated lunch area, and additional spaces throughout the campus intended for relaxation and collaboration.
Students, meanwhile, will have classrooms that are approximately one-and-a-half times larger than those in the previous building.
Joseph also highlighted the inclusion of a multi-purpose auditorium designed to serve several functions.
“The first use will obviously be for the school’s plays and performances,” he explained. “For the community, it will also function as a community centre, and in times of disaster, it has been designed to serve as a hurricane shelter.”
The school will also be equipped with a cistern and backup generator to ensure functionality during emergencies or utility outages.
“We believe this project will not only serve the teachers and students, but the community at large,” Joseph added. “We hope to see similar developments in other areas in the future.”
Officials say construction has been ongoing for approximately 11 and a half months, with fixtures and finishing work expected to be completed by October.
“We’re looking forward to students being able to utilise the school for the January term,” an official stated.
