New buildings to be constructed at ESHS by early 2022
Additional school buildings will be constructed at the Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) main campus in Road Town in the coming months.
Education Minister Dr Natalio Wheatley said this move is expected to accommodate senior school students presently housed at Pasea Estate. The new buildings are also for the school’s growing population of junior school students.
According to Dr Wheatley, construction is expected to be completed in early 2022.
The Recovery & Development Agency is managing this project while funding will come through the Ministry of Finance.
Dr Wheatley shared news of the project while announcing late last evening that all students of ESHS are expected to return to face-to-face instruction for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year.
Only some students at the school were able to experience face-to-face instruction for the previous academic year. While a few only had the benefit of online instruction, another segment had hybrid learning options available for on-campus and off-campus learning.
New shift system being implemented
The minister said all of the students will attend classes utilising a half-day shift system. Students on the morning shift are expected to begin at 8 am while students on the afternoon session will begin at 12:30 pm.
The decision to have a shift system, the education minister explained, is to ensure that all students have an opportunity to experience the school environment.
Adding a personal anecdote to bolster his position, Dr Wheatley stated: “My daughter who was just promoted from seventh grade, never met her classmates and never spent a day on campus. She did her entire seventh grade online. This shift will allow her and all other students to have some time on campus.”
Dr Wheatley further noted that all of the secondary schools in the territory besides Elmore Stoutt High School will have a full day of classes.
The ministry has procured school furniture through the Caribbean Development Bank’s $65 million-dollar loan to the BVI and they are expected to arrive before the beginning of school.
Dr Wheatley said this furniture will allow more students to be accommodated in the schools’ classrooms.
Tertiary Education
With regards to tertiary education, classes begin at the H Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) on August 25, with new student orientation and registration taking place on August 10 and 11.
Returning students are allowed to register between August 16 and 23 while August 31 is the last day to add classes, the minister stated.
He advised that all courses which require face-to-face delivery will be offered. However, these face-to-face classes will have restrictions on the numbers per session. The minister said there will also be a possible increase of sessions to accommodate additional demand.
All courses which do not require face-to-face delivery will be offered online, in the first instance — four to six weeks. However, this timeline is subject to review at the midpoint, Dr Wheatley stated.
Academic support services will be delivered mainly virtually with on-campus access strictly by appointment only. The college can be contacted at 284-494-4994 for more information.
All schools to reopen for face-to-face classes come September
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
Here comes another illegal project. The Architect will be or is S A the one who circumvented the tendering process with Myron on the wall. There will be 300-400 contracts given to avoid the tender process, the school will go over budget by at least 50% and there will be a lot of fat happy politicians with full bank accounts. Another day in paradise.
Hurry back Sir Gary. We need to stop the inmates from running the prison!!!!
It is a shame to know that you think that a slave master decendant who is also full of sin is the one you are depending on to be a savioir for things that may not be wrong but is deemed wrong by the slave masters so they can try to take us over and try to put us back into slavery.
What disturbs a Black people hating racist more than the truth?
Who owns and runs this site?
The disabled thumbs up to your comemnt is therefore explainable.
A people who is highly offended by truth. Earth greatest curse.
Why every time locals (including me) express their disappointment in the current government’s performance it is racist?
I would strongly recommend that you cease blogging and consider reading a book instead as your contribution is baseless.
reaction to any criticism of government these days, to play the race card instead of engaging with the issue at hand. Saves the agony of thought, if that is even a possibility in this case.
so bombo ras cloth true.
How can someone circumvent the tender process and the project still gets done? The decision to forego the process is one that only the cabinet can make. It would serve you well whoever you are to educate yourself on issues rather than making a fool of yourself by writing things that are far removed from what actually happens. People may not know who you are but do you need to be known by the public to be embarrassed? It is better to say nothing than to open your mouth to talk stupidness.
This is pure political strategy because election is nearing
There will be no elections for some time. The Governor will be running the show.
no this carrying out their agenda that they ran to accomplish, filling their pockets. Who know know.
Sorry – but the high school should have been completed to accommodate ALL students a long time ago. If all the buildings destroyed by Irma had been replaced in a timely manner the issues caused by the pandemic and distancing could have been resolved much quicker with additional spaces added. Unfortunately the high school was ignored and now they are trying to blame COVID on why we will face ANOTHER year of sub-par education for our children. It is disgraceful. Look at the buildings that have been started and finished in the time it has taken for the government to even begin to look at the high school in Fish Bay alone …. PG Gas (including the blasting of the land), International Motors, The Skelton Bay Lot extension (parts and power) – all of these BIGGER projects than the high school…. There is NO EXCUSE for the governments failure in this area…. NONE.
especially since this government was offered free engineering for the High School after Irma.
Eat them out and vote them out. Go ahead and give out as much contracts as you want. Still voting VIP out.
Paid blogger: RAwrrrrrr
Some of you are just fools. No matter the Government does positive it is an issue to some of you. I commend the Government on this project.
This is a welcomed project.
As a parent I am very happy to hear this is going to be done.
This is indeed a wonderful idea. The High School Project must be a priority. What we do not need though, is timelines published and an expensive hustle to get this done by hiring your overpriced cronies. We all know that early 2022 will come and go and no buildings will be built. We know that it will be difficult, as your track record speaks for itself, but try and rebuild in an economical way, and build back our High School with the futuristic needs of the School with gym and cafeteria etc. We know that value for money is never the goal when Government is constructing anything, but we are in a different place now. Times are hard; people are dying. Our needs are astronomical as a Country, our medical facilities, infrastructure to name a few and we know we are not collecting in what we used to. Many of us have also built countless homes, so we know how much buildings cost to build. We also know that the millions spent getting the L-shape building ready for re-occupancy was shameful. Please try and get value for money with this one and an overall product that is worthy of a country with the budgetary power that we have. We deserve better than we are getting and the countries resources should be better utilised to make life better for us all, not just a few.
Best comment here
This is why I think Education is a tough & challenging ministry for all who hold it. Looking at the comments
1. Some of you after crying about the school not being prioritized, sound like you don’t want the project to be done at all.
2. Are calling for an investigation into a project that hasn’t even begun yet.
3. Using private citizens names to make your case for corruption that is only imaginary to you right now.
Which makes me wonder.
1. Do you want the students to do well?
2. Are you hoping for the BVI to fail?
3. Can you tell the difference between your imagination and actual reality?
The Education Ministry being politicized is a problem for every sitting government & student body. When the opposition sees political opportunity and the students suffer for it. How will they know to treat the next generation of students any different?
We will be watching the expenditure and all of that but let’s support the fact that the students are getting much needed attn. And save the politics for when there is info for there to be politics on.
I hearing about them other buildings to be constructed since I left school on 97
It’s nice that there will be repairs/expansions to EHS but where will the teachers come from?
Lets hope they are better built than the last pack of cards which were blown down by a feather.