With less than a month to go, the future of the elementary students is yet unsure. I drove pass the Holy Trinity School last evening and it is still the same. Well the same that is, except the debris, the saturated furniture and books strew around. I came here in November to join the cleanup, with the group led by Sgt. Mike Harris and Sean Charles. Reluctantly, after a series phone calls and levels of clearance, we were eventually “allowed” to clean the school and its environs.
Today, contractors occupy the buildings WE cleaned. They are living in the home economics wing, the main hall, and the lower school across the street. Last week through the news media, NODS announced that, several building would be erected in the yard of the Lower School (a smaller and constricted area, which housed K-Gr 1) for all the children of Holy Trinity. This is madness and no less than poor planning and foresight. I could address the pyscho-social and educational implications of overcrowding, but not today.
Is the main compound of Holy Trinity School off limit to students? I am suggesting that the main compound of HTS be used to house the students in September. The main hall has minimal damage but, can house 4 classrooms, The Home Economics block can house 3 classrooms. The Library and computer block can house administration and 2 classrooms The buildings they plan to put at lower school can be rebuilt where 4 classrooms were destroyed. The Lower school can house the4 classrooms that were previously there. This arrangement would provide 17 classrooms for the student to return. After all, they must be safe seeing that contractors have been living there for the past 9 months.
The MOEST has been eerily silent, with less than 1 month to go! What is going to happen to the children in September? Where will they attend school? When will furniture arrive? The community needs answers; two officials came to Barbuda last week but the specifics has not reach the public. A conversation with the community needs to happen now. What will happen when the bell rings in September? OH by the way, there is no bell. During the cleanup we found has no handle and the other has no tongue.
So where do the contractors go? Move them to the air-conditioned trailers at the Community Center, The soldiers can now go back to Antigua seeing that the “State of Emergency” is no longer in effect. The Police can move to their compound. Yes, they are still in fisheries buildings. Finally, our children can go back to school and at least, that would be a start. The new school? Still waiting for the ground to be broken.
Darlene Beazer-Parker
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Ask Trevor Walker.
Is Trevor Walker the Minister of Education? Barbudans took the initiative earlier this year and brought the students back home so that parents and students could be united as the rebuilding process continued. Certainly the MoEST has had 12 months to come up with a plan! If the government could find the resources to build a new airport, why haven’t they come up with a plan for schooling?
@ Cassandrak- Didn’t the Airport start building before the storm hit? Hypocrisy is right-Ask Trevor Walker.. You people want the Barbudan’s to eat their Cake and still have it. The Barbuda Council along with the BPM needs to start working for their money.What the heck are there there for,just to hinder development?
The Government neglecting the School and Hospital for one reason, because we voted against ABLP in the last General and Council Elections!
Wow that is sad
@ Cassandrak- Didn’t the Airport start building before the storm hit? Hypocrisy is right-Ask Trevor Walker.. You people want the Barbudan’s to eat their Cake and still have it. The Barbuda Council along with the BPM needs to start working for their money.What the heck are there there for,just to hinder development?
What are Barbudans bringing to the table??? They expect the world and some from Antigua…. Start do what the majority of Antiguans do Contribute to the economy then you can have your say as equal tax payers. Antigua government print money? Bigger countries with more finances still not back to 100% normalcy!!
Continue biting the hands that feed and see how you eat.
Mean while Antiguans out here busting their behinds to buy lands at $5.00 per square feet, paying mortgages, paying higher utilities, paying school fees, buying their own food
When u Barbudans spent all thoss months enjoying an easy life in Antigua u did not remember the school needs to be rebuilt. Y’all damn sickening now. Y’all just want to kickback an let Antiguans do all the work for y’all. Y’all lazy and wicked and just want handouts. Get up off y’all backside and go rebuild ya island since y’all land mean the world to you.
I thought Barbudans wanted to SECEDE. Didn’t Trevor Walker have the master plan to “divorce” Barbuda from Antigua? He can become Premier and establish their own MoEST, police force, fire department etc etc. He INDOCTRINATED them to be anti-gov’t and anti-Antigua, now he doesn’t have a back up plan. What kind of leader is he? Barbudans need to hold Walker accountable. Maybe y’all can hold hands around the school building and sing “break every chain” again.
Omg, God please intervene before this gets any worst. I thought that the animosity between our twin island state was at it’s worst back then but it’s clearly getting worst…. For reasons politicians created, while they all knock glasses smh n the ppl want to cut each other neck…. I am so afraid of what will happen to the younger generation, the hatred that will past on…. this is so ridiculous….. I am a born Antiguan and am fed up….. Prime minister you need to shut up n stop pelting insulting words to the Barbudans because all of them is not the same n Trevor Walker n bpm pls do things in the interest of the ppl…. It’s not everything u have to oppose…. Once it benefits your ppl let it pass pls…. And some of us Antiguans need to stop adding more fuel to the fire….. Because we don’t have such privilege doesnt mean we must despise or brothers n sisters….. if they speak let Dem speak, it’s their democratic rights… We get on radio talk shows everyday n talk about upp n Ablp… oh gosh they have voices too…. Whether we don’t like to hear what they preach, it’s their rights…..
At this point one has to wonder which is/was worse for Barbuda?
A). Hurricane Irma/Maria
B). Trevor Walker
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