Minister urges proactive stance as schools reopen after Phillipe
Most public schools in the territory will reopen today as the effects of Tropical Storm Phillipe continue to wane and the government continues to assess the extensive damage left in its wake.
According to the Education Ministry, the exceptions will be for Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) and the Ivan Dawson Primary School to resume normal classes on Friday, October 6.
For the Elmore Stoutt and Ivan Dawson students, the ministry explained that work will be posted in Google Classroom as the teachers will be at those schools assisting with final preparations for students to return on Friday.
Phillipe left flooded homes and businesses in its wake with a significant amount of damaged to road infrastructure across Tortola. Some residents suggested that flooding was reminiscent of the 2017 deluge that preceded hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Be more proactive
In the meantime, Education Minister Sharie de Castro urged that the government should be more proactive in its approach to school maintenance as she reflected on the minimal damage caused to schools on the sister island of Virgin Gorda.
“We did some work on some of the schools [on Virgin Gorda] as well over the summer,” de Castro said. “So, I mean, overall, I think we have to be more proactive and we’re seeking to do that.”
She encouraged officials to be deliberate in their efforts and said using the time when students are not in school predominantly was a proactive move on her ministry’s part, versus taking corrective measures.
The minister’s remarks came as she inspected the damage caused within the environs of the school. The school suffered significant flooding and an accumulation of mud and debris, which officials said was partially due to a nearby clogged ghut.
“This school (ESHS) was the one that was damaged the most in terms of the water intake. We had minimal water damage at most of the other schools,” de Castro stated.
Minister de Castro expressed that her team was taking an ‘all hands on deck’ approach to ensuring that the schools are ready in time for students to return.
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The schools in a mess yet she pick up and gone to Singapore on a joy ride. She is in Singapore and the Premier just leave Monaco to go New York. This is all these people doing. Living high off the hog and producing nothing.
The 2017 deluge also flooded the school, so why not learn from it and DESIGN the new building with a ramp or step access higher knowing you were in a flood zone right next to the gut .
The same wall they want to crucify Myron for is what protected the high school campus from damage. Suppose that wall was not there with the water we see coming in that faulty new building that was built by the VIP chief contractor. The whole campus would have been fully under water all now
Those buildings are too low that’s why the water passed thru them
Build another wall around the new school to prevent ghut water coming in
Dear Minister De Castro,
Perhaps you can ask your family member and boyfriend for the money they got illegally from you under the covid grants.
We can use it to build better education.
You, your family and boyfriend stole from us, the BVI people. Stop asking, and give back what you took.
THE GOVERNMENT SAT BACK AND ALLOWED U TO MAKE A MESS OF THAT GHUT ALONGSIDE THE SCHOOL….evry lil thing block the ghut
Thank you for pointing that out. That school would have washed away with the flood without that wall. The same wall that withstood Irma has now again helped protect the school against TS Philipe. It is a prime example of a good investment. The Premier spent ¼ of the cost of the wall on a stupid party. What was the return?
Does “pantsuit”ever take a decent picture?? Geesh!!! Somebody say it have a boyfriend…that’s it, I’m done! LOL
Why do we continue entertaining this f**king complete waste of time? You get what you vote for. Total f**king disappointment!
The wall help kept some of the water flow away from the school.The wall stood in the flood and did not crumble. That wall was built there to protect the students.
Thank you Myron for building that wall around the high school. It was needed. They now trying to crucify you with some bogus charge because they want to keep you out of politics. But you came back stronger than ever. If it wasn’t for that wall during this flood the high school would have sailing going to Anegada by now.
The vip better thank Myron for building that wall because that is what prevented their badly designed and poorly built new building for being destroyed.
Facts
Oh well back to Myron’s design which also included a cafeteria. We just know how to waste money when it’s not our idea. Almost 3 more years of this crap
and her new Education CEO don’t stay behind. LOL! Set of waste!
Myron is going to be Premier one day. Timing is everything. It is just now the timing is not right. Luce is a perfect example, the timing was not right for her four years ago now look where she is today.
She is like Hillary Clinton, always in a damn pantsuit and the same matron looking hair style making her look 20 years older than her age. Time for a up grade Miss. Education Minister. No type of feminist look at all.
She didn’t have to go to Singapore, someone else I am sure was capable enough could have taken her place. Her house is slowly crumbling, she was in the UK when the teachers step out now she is in Singapore while the Island almost got washed away by flood waters. Her boss should have hightailed it back to the Island once he was briefed on what was going on like a true Leader would do. The Country was in a State of Emergency and he chose to go sit in the UN and look like a J..kA..
May as well have a Singapore sling on my tax dollar while you’re at it. Where is the next trip on my tax dollar? Italy? France? Greece?Germany? Fiji? Tahiti?
1000% in agreement with you. Her Family and her f**ly boyfriend or some say boy toy need to return the money that they obtain illegally. We have to keep reminding them of that.
NONE OF THEM IS PRO-ACTIVE.
Can she be in two places at the same time? she was on the news yesterday at the school.
We love myrun but if he runs for premiership again he is likely to receive the same results. Marlun going receive the same result like this year too if he leads the ndp into another election. Who don’t hear will feel. Plus pvim and ndp must back and rebrand if even its logo. Just merge. Ching Ching isn’t there to cut no more deals do all will be well. We need strong business minds at-large candidates managing those ministries. We looking for ronnie, Shaina, kedrick, mather.
Dear Diary, I am off to Paris and Signapore for a girl’s trip. This is the life in first class. Pass me a napkin, I need to draft a plan for education…and another diet coke please… I hope those teachers don’t dear pull that strike stunt this time while I take this much deserved break. I need to beg Premier for some money to give dem teachers another $300. That should keep them quite for a while.London was a blast last month. Let me spin my globe app to locate next month’s adventures. Kye thinks he can travel more than me! He will see. That per dium sweet eh. I need that money to replace the assistance grant that the white house took away. The schools should be cleaned and ready to reopen by the time I get back. Crap! I hope my team remembered to pay the subscription for the on-line learning platform…I promise to keep my roaming bill under $20K during this trip. The captain has posted the fasten your seat belt sign..rbr
This lady is not got for the job. She is a really like a child. The country just went through serious flooding. People are trying to put the pieces back together, schools are in disarray with the largest school closed due to flooding. She is an at large representative with the responsibility to ensuring that all citizens are fine but yet the day after the flood she jets away to Singapore at huge cost to the government to watch a robot competition. A responsible adult would never have done this. She didn’t have enough common sense to know that this would be a bad decision at this critical time in the country? This wasn’t no ordinary flood the place was under serious water and the child just jet away to Singapore.
What you smoking boo? Those names you call there are dead weight especially Shaina and Mather. How could you even rank those two above Myron and Marlon. You crazy. Kedrick is lazy, unproductive and lives to please white people. Ronnie time gone.
During world teacher’s week! lol
She comes with a twist…