MP Kelvin Simon Calls Out Education Minister for Failing to Install AC Units in Schools
As record breaking temperatures continue to afflict the nation, M.P. for St. Mary South, Hon. Kelvin Simon is raising concerns about the wellbeing of students in schools throughout Antigua and Barbuda.
Almost eight months after the installation of air conditioning units began at Urlings Primary School, those units are still not functioning.
“Just as we suspected, the installation of AC units by the Ministry of Education was nothing but a political gimmick during the by-election. With the record breaking temperatures that we are currently facing, this administration continues to show abject disregard for the welfare of our students. This is just heartless,” Simon stated.
M.P. Simon is appealing to Education Minister, Hon. Daryl Matthew to address this situation immediately.
He references an article in the Observer newspaper dated October 18th 2023 where Matthew was quoted as saying that classrooms at the Newfield Primary School were set to receive air-conditioning (AC) units by the end of the week.
At the time, Minister Matthew acknowledged that “putting fans in classrooms simply has not been working. It has just been circulating hot air…Unfortunately and regretfully we have gotten to a point where we have to climate control our classrooms by putting air-conditioning units in,” he stated.
M.P. Simon refers to Matthew’s statement as “nothing but hot air.” He is extremely concerned that stifling heat conditions are impacting students’ ability to learn and teachers’ and administrators’ ability to carry out their daily tasks.
Simon is outraged that while the ABLP administration is focused on the SIDS Conference and addressing logistics and the needs of hundreds of delegates, they have neglected the basic needs of our children.
“We cannot create a sustainable future if we do not invest in our youth. Our youth represent the future. We are relying on them to drive the
innovation, energy, and resilience necessary to tackle global challenges such as climate change, poverty, and inequality, some of the main issues on the SIDS Conference agenda. We must get our priorities in order and do a better job of improving the environment for them to learn,” Simon said.
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APOSTLE SHUGY SIMON where is your wife??? You mean you went al the way to Nazarene bible college and came back WINKING UP NAKED CHEST past Beacon Light church??
@ Hmmmmmmmmm
When you have nothing to say please just whistle.
You are an embarrassment to the ABLP and yourself, so shut the hell up.
Where are the outraged parents?
Why don’t you talk in Parliament ? Bunch of UPP dunce. Where is the GUNMAN Deputy political Leader ? UPP worst opposition in the WORLD.
@ INGRAM
He still counting the over 200 votes he beat the ABLP candidate by in 2023. What a BANG AFF.
Your bitterness is the after effects, POOR THING 🤣🤣.
Keep up the MURDER theme, that WILL DEFINITELY HELP Y’ALL NEXT ELECTION AROUND.
ABLP will win 20 seats, stupid fools.
UPP and Brixtonian should be ASHAMED to have on your Executive , Someone who went to prison for fatally shooting His girlfriend. WOW..WOW.
not just girlfriend…an UNBORN FETUS too!!! This is what Gisele Issac, Shawn Nicholas and the POWA crew give their approval too.
@ PRIM
And with all the nastiness and slander and abuse you threw at him HE STILL BANG OFF R U REAL REAL BAD……usually that constituency is only won or lost by a few votes, so the margin of victory was over 200, which tells you MINIONS that jump high and jump low, you cannot stop the murderer. YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME:
PRIM, PRAM, INGRAM, one and the same person. Go bag wind if you have nothing else to do, lol
Shuggy with his shirt off must be very mesmerizing to certain persons. I believe if he approached them that they would uncontrollably acquiesce. He really is a magnet to to them.
Aircon units in classrooms is not the answer. It’s just not healthy for children to sit in cold air-conditioned rooms all day. It will lead to them getting cramps, colds and other ailments. The answer is to construct the schools so that there’s sufficient natural ventilation and lighting. Electric fans are ok once complemented with measures like higher ceilings, bigger, higher windows for more airflow, extractor fans just below the ceilings, etc. Problem is not enough thought and innovation are going into constructing buildings appropriate for a tropical climate. The mental laziness of authorities here is just one factor leading to problems of this nature. THINK, THINK, THINK. That’s what God gave you all brains for. Abandon that thought mode that our structures must be copies of what obtains in the white man’s countries. You all too damn mentally and physically lazy !!
QUESTION. Did us older folks have air conditioning during our school days in the 70s and early 80s 🤔 ? We opened all the classroom windows and let the breeze it. None of died of heat exhaustion. Not one single public or private school had ac in my day. All we did was make sure all the windows and doors were open and we were ok. Our classrooms at Sunnyside were naturally cool all day.if it was too hot outside, we relaxed in our classrooms with the breeze coming from Pigotts and Paynters, and in the late 70s we had some record breaking temperatures. So my question ls , if we could cope in our day, why not students of today? Urlings is right off the beach, so you cant get better than that, so why the problem now 🤔 ??
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