The Minister of Education and Technical and Vocational Training visited several public schools on the first day of the 2023-2024 school year.
While on the tour of schools, the Hon. Glenys Hanna Martin admitted that Uriah McPhee Primary School was not ready for students and teachers. She explained that “the issue of cleaning from the construction works became an issue and the air condition shouldn’t come on. So that’s most unfortunate and its something that we had hope we would not have to face. Those parents and students will return tomorrow. So they would not have been able to be integrated into class today. It’s not construction or anything of that nature. It’s just the administrative issue of cleaning.”
President of the Bahamas Union of Teacher Belinda Wilson said she visited the school over the weekend and saw that it would not be ready for the first day of school. Wilson said, “they did a very extensive work there. However the air condition in some section of the second floor was not operable. Men were there working putting up sideboards but the teacher’s desks and their material and everything was not ready. So we asked for that school to be deep cleaned before our teachers and students can occupy it.”
Hanna Martin visited several other schools on Monday morning and said based on reports received children were back in school and orientation had begun. She also said, “its a new day, we’re hoping this is the place and space where our young people will be able to be socialized, educated and really incentivized and stimulated.”
