Minister: 'New home for Claxton Bay Anglican today'

“BEFORE today ends, we will find somewhere to house them.”

That was the commitment made by Minister in the Ministry of Education Dr Lovell Francis as he toured several sites in the Marabella/Claxton Bay area earlier today
(FRIDAY), searching for suitable accommodation for the Claxton Bay Junior Anglican School.

Some 166 students, comprising 11 classes from Infants to Standard Two, the principal and 11 teachers, have been displaced since the school was ordered closed and the 100-year-old building demolished.

This followed an inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) on September 30.

This morning Franci and a team from the ministry met with stakeholders, including representatives from the Anglican School Board, the National Parent Teachers Association (NPTA), staff and parents, to find a solution.

The meeting was held at the Claxton Bay Senior Anglican School, where Francis is hoping two of the classes can be accommodated in the short term while prefabricated buildings are erected in time for the new term in January.

“We are trying to find the best possible short-term solution that the parents and the teachers will agree to, so we came to talk to the principal at the senior school to see if we could probably house one or two of the classes here.”

However, he said space may be a challenge at the senior school.

“We are also looking at different sites. We are discussing with the parents either bussing the children to Hardbargain Government, which is a consideration, or seeing what state the old compound of Marabella South is in, if it is useable to take them there."

He said everyone at the meeting had been co-operative.

"Everybody understands the situation. It’s like basically a worst-case scenario where your school is no longer fit for occupation, and we are all working together to get a good solution so the children don’t miss out on their education.”