MINISTER of Education, Ms. Priya Manickchand, on Wednesday, told the gathering at a sod turning ceremony that procedures had to be followed, even though word did not come from regional authorities regarding the reconstruction of the One Mile Primary School that was razed to the ground by arsonists during the 2012 electricity protest at Linden.She pointed out that, due to the non-confirmation of steps to be used for the procurement of funding for the rebuilding, it caused a delay in the movement towards the start but there was a sod turning ceremony for the project on Wednesday.
Accompanied by Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Bishop Juan Edghill and Chief Education Officer Olata Sam, the Minister made the point that there was, however, no word from anyone until there was a story in the newspapers which said that, according to Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon, the Committee was no longer going to rebuild the school and that the Ministry was going to do so.
She said then it was made public and so the Regional Chairman was written to about this development.
Manickchand informed that it was communicated to Solomon, by way of the newspaper article that “we couldn’t wait any longer, and so we were going to take the decision to rebuild the school.”

Hence, her ministry decided to source funding and $170M was later
put towards the project.
Just under two years ago, a protest against electricity rates hike saw arsonists taking to burn several buildings in the town and the One Mile School was among those destroyed by
fire.
The reconstruction is projected for completion by January 2015 although it is not being done on the old school foundation where a community had been set up for the purpose, initially by self-help.
Manickchand said the old foundation was structurally inadequate for the state-of-the- art new edifice being erected.
In her address at the function, she recalled that, previously, $60M was catered for in the 2012 Budget for the school’s rebuilding committee that had started to collect funds for the undertaking and, after this was made available, she said contact was made with Regional
Chairman Solomon.
However, the thought of handing over $60M to the committee was deemed not in keeping with procedures and the effort was made for compliance with the Procurement Act, she said.
Manickchand said, when the money was available, immediately upon getting the $60M Solomon was contacted and asked about how “we were going to move forward, we were very clear that we had to comply with the Procurement Act.”
“We had to do it according to the rules and procedures laid down by law and so we were waiting to hear the way forward from the committee or the appointed person, or the Regional Chairman,” she said.
The new One Mile Primary School will have 29 classrooms capable of housing 1,000 pupils, a Headteacher’s Office, Information Technology Room, Sick Bay, Guidance and Counselling Rooms, Agricultural Area, Library and wash room facilities, along with an area for children with disabilities, a canteen and an assembly auditorium, all which will be fully furnished.
It was also revealed that documents related to the erection of the school will be made available for public scrutiny and to ensure that residents get value for money.
Members of the community are to hold the contractors and the consultants accountable and responsible, by organising themselves to oversee the building process.
Solomon said it was very unfortunate that the school was destroyed by fire causing the displacement of more than 800 children but he was satisfied that $170M had been earmarked for the project and thanked the Government for the initiative, expressing his elation that the children from the One Mile School would now be housed in one building.
They are currently accommodated at the Wismar Hill Primary and the Block 22 Multi-Purpose Hall.
Written By Joe Chapman