No funds for bush-covered ASPS rebuild — Mather
Territorial At-Large Representative Stacy Mather has lamented the absence of funds in this year’s budget for any building plans to reconstruct the Althea Scatliffe Primary School (ASPS), and urged the government to find creative ways to move the project forward.
Once the largest primary school in the territory, the ASPS was closed abruptly in 2022 after a report showed that the building’s structural integrity was seriously compromised. Students of the school were later dispersed to other institutions across the territory.
The building was demolished early last year and Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley as well as Education Minister Sharie de Castro both commented at the time that the school’s reconstruction was a priority for the government.
But according to Mather, the school’s former compound is now surrounded by bush and in desperate need of attention.
“April will be an entire year since the home of the Striders, the Mighty Scatliffe, has been demolished. From 1994 to 1998, I sat in that school and I taught. More children in this country, on this island, have been to that establishment. There’s no money in the budget to draw a plan,” the first-term lawmaker said.
Mather said the issue is a burning one for him and pointed out that creative ways should be found to get things done.
He further suggested that alumni of the school should be engaged to get plans drawn and hinted that Fifth District Representative Kye Rymer should work towards achieving this since many persons from the district, where the school is based, voted for both lawmakers.
“It is time to engage the alumni of that school because they will do things. They will do things for the school. But we sit in here twiddling our thumbs saying we don’t have money in the budget and we can’t find a person or persons whether living in the territory or abroad to help us draw that school [plan] and figure it out,” Mather said.
He added: “All they have there is bush. Maybe we need to send somebody from the RATED programme to cut the bush there too.”
Mather said he hopes officials figure out the problem sometime this year because young people of the territory deserve to have a primary school that is based in Road Town.
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Yesterday we were told that the Rupert Briercliffe Hall was going to be demolished so that it can come a storage area for the rebuild of the school – and today hon Mather says that we need to rebuild the school. Presumably Hon will claim in due course that it was his prompting that caused the school to be rebuilt. Well played Hon.
It would be his promoting that would remind them of the promise that they made so that they don’t break this one too. Integrity is had to come by these days. Thanks Hon. Mather. Keep reminding them.
Waste of time. No substance. A wasted vote man! Gheesss
Seems that Mather has taken the mantle from Hon. Mitch as Chief Complainer in the HOA. You campaigned, you were elected with most votes territory-wide. Don’t just tell us the things you don’t like, show us a complete road map of what you would like to see happening in the BVI. It’s amazing that everyone can create a whole new FB page filled with pics, videos, plans, promises when seeking elected office, but as soon as they are voted in, the pages go STAGNANT. Where is the love for the people? Where is the fight? Where are your plans? Talk is cheap. It seems that it’s a game where they just want to go on record against something and they think that their job is done. The people believed in your promises during election, follow through and stop complaining. Yes I know he is in the opposition, but again show us the real meat, show us your alternatives. The only way to keep the Government feet to the fire is to get the people on your side and right now all we hearing is talk talk talk, complain complain, finger pointing and nothing being done. Then in 4 years its more talk again.
How has he been complaining? Go ahead and list them since you were sent with little to no facts and just running your mouth. It’s always the ones that can’t do any better or fail to see the good in people. I have noted Hon. Mather as one of the few elected officials that bring forth suggestions and offers to assist. Pointing out issues and holding the ministers accountable is part of the oppositions job you idiot. The people believe in him because he is genuine and he will do more if given a chance or ministry.
They are all f**king jokers and the evidence is there to show it. Like the poster said where is the same zeal to govern that’s there to win an election? You are a Mather fan so you will see no wrong, I’m a BVI fan and a fan of no one man. They are all a waste of time and have no reason to do any real work because of puppets like yourself and their fat pensions to look forward to having contributed nothing to the Territory.
Shame!
But all the man said. There’s no funds allocated in the budget to build back the Althea Scatliffe Primary School, which was demolished unnecessarily. Is it true or false?? May God help us all.