MP to assist school
PORT ANTONIO, Portland:
With the Ministry of Education providing a paltry grant of $30,000 annually, which serves as the total sum allocated for the maintenance of the Mount Pleasant Primary school's infrastructure, Member of Parliament (MP) Daryl Vaz is pledging further assistance.
The West Portland MP, who is involved in the trucking of water to the learning institution two days per week, told The Gleaner that the most urgent need of the school is to install partitions in the main building, so as to ensure that students are taught in a more conducive environment.
"There is also an issue with the mathematics room," said Vaz.
"The roofing is leaking heavily, and based on dialogue held with the school's principal, Mrs Dian Vidal, approximately five sheets of zinc is required to effect the repairs, which will be done immediately. There is currently no issue with the storage of water at the school, as they have four water tanks in use, which were donated by private individuals. I will, however, continue to truck water on a regular basis," he said.
Recently Food For The Poor constructed a new toilet facility comprising six stalls, two toilet stalls for males along with a urinal, and three stalls for the female, which will be commissioned when school reopens.
The MP added: "I will continue to work with the Mt Pleasant Primary School family and other schools in the constituency of West Portland through the provision of support for their school feeding programme, trucking of water, and donating computers and supplies. And with the private sector's assistance in upgrading the basic infrastructure at the various schools, to allow the children of West Portland to learn in a more conducive and comfortable environment, there is a bright future for students in this constituency."