Ministry officials to visit closed Claxton Bay Anglican Friday

EDUCATION Minister Anthony Garcia says ministry officials will visit the Claxton Bay Anglican School on Friday after the more than 100-year-old school was closed owing to structural defects.

He was speaking on Thursday at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's.

Garcia said the school was one of two primary schools in the area and had students from infants one and two, and standards one and two, while the senior school had standards two, three, four and five. He said the school is owned by the Anglican board and was built to accommodate 150 students more than 100 years ago, though the board could not confirm the actual date the school was opened.

"You can understand the school is aged and very old."

Garcia said the board recognised some structural defects and wrote the Works Ministry and asked the ministry to do a structural assessment. He said the ministry inspection was done on September 5 and the report sent on September 17. The report advised that the school should be closed because of the many structural defects identified. He also said, around September 23 the Occupational Safety and Health Agency issued a prohibition notice asking that the school cease operations in that building.

Garcia said, since then the Education Ministry has been in contact with the board to ensure the 161 students continue their education. He reported, today there will be a formal visit with ministry officials, the board, the principal, PTA members, the National PTA and MTS to certain areas to determine the next step.

He said the board had suggested a shift system, and buildings in the area such as the former Petrotrin sports club had been identified for possible occupation.

"Once a suitable building is found as an interim measure, that will be used to house the students."

He said the hope is that before the end of next week there will be a temporary solution. On a permanent solution, he said a determination has to be made for a new school to be built and for an annex to the current buildings.

Asked the number of schools where students had been displaced, Garcia said he did not have the number at hand. But with two or three schools out of 700, the ministry should not be "raked over the coals."