Caribbean Times 37th Issue - Friday 24th June 2016

12 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g
Friday 24th June 2016
CDB launches US$15 million
Education Project in Grenada
ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada – At
the J.W. Fletcher Catholic Secondary
School in Grenada, 217 boys and girls
have been making do with inadequate
space. Teachers and students work together
creatively to make the best of
the eight classrooms, spread across two
blocks. But this arrangement is not suitable
for optimal outcomes in the education
sector in Grenada; nor does it meet
regional best practice standards.
For this reason, J.W. Fletcher is one
of six schools across the country that
will be expanded or rehabilitated as part
of the Grenada Education Enhancement
Project (GEEP), funded by the Caribbean
Development Bank (CDB). Teachers
and students look forward to the construction
of two new blocks which will
provide three classrooms, administrative
space, labs for Building Technology and
Electronics, and rooms for Music, Art,
Technical Drawing and Counselling.
GEEP was launched on Wednesday,
June 15 in St. George’s, Grenada where
Dr the Right Honourable Keith Mitchell,
Prime Minister of Grenada reaffirmed
the duty of the Government and the right
of the child to quality education.
“If we truly believe that every child
deserves that kind of opportunity, and
that every society deserves to have students
who can access those kinds of
opportunities, then our collective effort
becomes extremely clear. Our work is
to make sure that opportunity is not just
a possibility, but a promise. Opportunity
is a right that inspires educators to
truly devote their lives to empowering
our children. It is a right that encourages
parents to expect their child will graduate
from secondary school and college
and succeed in life, even if the parents
never had that chance themselves. A
Government’s work is not done until
we have lived up to that promise,” Dr
Mitchell said.
In addition to J.W. Fletcher, other
schools to be improved are: Grenada
Seventh Day Adventist Comprehensive;
Bishop’s College in Carriacou; Presentation
Brothers’ College; St. Joseph’s
Convent, St. George’s; and St. Joseph’s
Convent in Grenville.
The expansion and rehabilitation
work is part of Phase One of the GEEP
for which a loan of USD15 million and
a grant of USD533,000 have been approved
by CDB’s Board of Directors. It
complements the Government of Grenada’s
efforts to address the substantial
need for improved education infrastructure.
“The implementation of the project
will allow our Ministry to be better
positioned to serve its stakeholders at
all levels, and to take on a professional
approach towards the conduct of the
business of education. The country on a
whole will benefit by way of improving
the availability and relevant professional
skills. It is therefore my expectation
that the beneficiaries of this timely investment,
will seize the opportunity to
make maximum use of the opportunities
afforded,” said the Honourable Anthony
Boatswain, Grenada’s Minister of Education
and Human Resource Development.
Grenada was so badly affected by
Hurricanes Ivan and Emily in 2004 and
2005 respectively, that some damaged
schools have not yet been restored and
some continuing to be housed in temporary
structures. Some of the country’s
secondary schools, originally operated
as primary institutions, must be expanded
if the country is to achieve universal
secondary education.
The Project also aims to enhance the
quality, relevance and effectiveness of
instruction and includes a component
for training and professional development
for approximately 1,700 teachers
and principals.
Patricia McKenzie, Vice-President
(Operations) at CDB lauded Grenada’s
work and leadership in education:
“The experience of many countries
has amply demonstrated the power of
human capital development to expanding
economic opportunities and reducing
poverty. Likewise in Grenada, education
attainment is strongly correlated
with economic gains and lower poverty
rates. Consequently, the government
of Grenada has been investing approximately
5.2 percent of GDP annually on
education, spending ECD102.1 mn, in
2015, higher than any other sector and
among the highest in the OECS. As a
consequence of the significant investment
you have made in education, Grenada
has made tremendous progress in
reaching several measureable targets for
basic education – achieving universal
secondary education in 2012, reaching
the Caribbean-specific Millennium
Development Goals in 2015 and virtually
eliminating enrolment disparities
between males and females, you have
demonstrated leadership in this area,”
Mrs. McKenzie said.
The Project is now officially underway,
with construction expected to begin
by 2017.