Minister of Education Announces Year-Round School Repairs to Address Infrastructure Needs and Minimize Disruption

Minister of Education Kay McConney has announced a significant shift in repairs to the island’s schools, moving from a summer-only programme to a year-round system.

The change aims to address the growing infrastructural needs of schools whilst reducing disruption to the academic year.

As she guaranteed that all public schools will be ready for opening next Monday, McConney reported that the previous approach of concentrating all repairs during the summer break had proven insufficient.

She said: “This year, there were 26 schools that were part of what we call the summer programme, but a significant shift that you will see going into this new school year is that we are shifting from this approach that we have used for years when we try to stuff all of the repairs for schools into a summer time.”

The new programme will extend throughout the academic year, with work being done on weekends and after school hours to avoid disruption.

The education minister emphasised that the ongoing works “will not pose any impediment to teaching and learning, that they do not pose any health and safety challenges at the school, and that the communities in which the work will be done are properly notified in case there may be any inconvenience during that time”.

Updating the public on the current status of repairs, she explained that most schools were nearly complete, although some projects were delayed due to supply chain issues.

Francisco Miller, director of the ministry’s education technical management unit, confirmed that “the majority of the schools are either completed or close to completion”.

To reassure parents and staff about the possibility of incomplete repairs disrupting the school year, McConney explained that contingency plans were in place.

“If for whatever reason things outside of our control should happen, our chief education officer will be putting in place alternative arrangements,” she said. “Schools will be open on time on Monday, and in the event that other work needs to continue, they will be subsumed as part of the year-round programme.”

When questioned about stakeholder consultations regarding the new repair programme, McConney acknowledged that discussions with principals and teachers had taken place but admitted that broader community involvement needed to improve.

To address this, the ministry has appointed Wanda McLean as stakeholder manager. Her primary responsibility is to ensure regular and transparent consultations with schools and communities.