THE new academic school year 2013/2014 begins today as nursery, primary and secondary school students return to school after their August holiday and the Education Ministry has reported that with the exception of East Street Nursery school, all schools in the Georgetown District are ready for reopening.

According to a release issued by the Ministry, via their Public Relations Officer, Suelle Williams, checks made by Ministry officials to other schools throughout the various regions across the country revealed that those schools are in a state of readiness for reopening today.
“Final preparations in the form of weeding and the arranging of furniture are currently on going countrywide, and are expected to be completed in time for the start of the new school year on Monday,” the release stated.
Meanwhile, the Ministry in a release advised parents and guardians of children that the East Street Nursery School will be reopened in two weeks and not today, since work on the building is not finished and could not have been finished within the holiday period.
“The Ministry sincerely apologises to those parents and guardians for the inconvenience caused by this delay,” the Ministry’s release said.
Education Minister, Ms. Priya Manickchand on Friday last visited the school to assess the state of the work being done on the building, and also met with parents and apologised for the delay, offering assistance to parents in need of child care as a result of the delay.
She said that the Ministry was faced with two very difficult choices regarding whether they should go ahead with the construction of the school, since all contractors indicated that they could not finish the school in the holiday period.
“We were faced with two tough choices, either we continue on with the old building or we construct a new building. Continuing with the old building would have avoided your annoyance and the criticisms of the opportunistic politicians who will want to criticise our late opening. But I must base my decisions only on what is in the best interest of your children. And it is in their best interest to have a new school as the old one was not in the best condition,” she explained.
According to her, the Ministry is paying even more than normal to do the building at $38M so that the workers could have worked day and night, but even with working night and day; some periods could not be condensed.
The Education Minister in recognising the difficulties faced by some of the parents and guardians of children attending the school, and their access to further day-care or child care facilities also offered to make arrangements for them and this offer was happily accepted by parents.
The Ministry in its release also took the opportunity to extend best wishes to all of the children across the country as they begin the new Christmas Term and new school year and assured that they remain committed to ensuring that it maintains the best learning environments for the nation’s children.