JTA calls for emergency fund for schools impacted by disasters

WESTERN BUREAU:

Jamaica Teachers’ Association [JTA] President Leighton Johnson is urging the Ministry of Education [MOE] to set up an emergency fund for repairing damage to schools caused by natural disasters, and to speedily complete assessments for the cost to repair those schools that were damaged during Hurricane Beryl.

In a media release on Wednesday, Johnson said that the reopening of schools in time for the September term has been adversely affected by the damage caused by Beryl, which passed the southern coast of Jamaica as a category-4 hurricane last Wednesday, July 3.

“The JTA is deeply concerned about the infrastructural damage caused by the passage of Hurricane Beryl to several educational institutions and the impact this will have on the reopening of school in September. The damage done to several schools was extensive and will require significant amounts of money to effect repairs … we are urging the MOE to expedite the process of assessing the damage done to these institutions to ascertain the true cost of repairs. The summer holidays present a small window for these repairs to be effected,” said Johnson.

“We are once again making the call for the MOE to establish an emergency fund to be activated when schools are faced with eventualities such as hurricanes, earthquakes, flooding, and fires. It is also necessary for the MOE to consider the process of insuring our schools against these eventualities. This will improve the sector’s resilience in the face of these natural disasters,” Johnson continued.

REVIEW SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT

The JTA’s recommendation for an emergency fund to assist schools in times of natural disasters was previously raised following a 5.6-magnitude earthquake on October 30 last year, which caused structural damage to several schools across the country. St Hugh’s High School for Girls and Yallahs High School in St Thomas, and Waterford Infant School in Portmore, St Catherine were among the institutions affected at that time.

In the aftermath of last week’s passage of Hurricane Beryl, the MOE announced on Tuesday that a preliminary assessment of damage to 100 schools across six of its seven educational regions was estimated at over $797 million, with that figure expected to climb as the assessment continues.

Manning’s School in Westmoreland, Westwood High School in Trelawny, and Munro College in St Elizabeth are among the schools which sustained heavy damage from Beryl.

Johnson also renewed a call for the MOE to review the service level agreement through which school administrators could undertake emergency work and small projects at their institutions, a recommendation which was previously made in April this year.

“We are encouraging the MOE to revisit the process of service level contracts where the schools are funded to carry out minor works and projects that fall below the stipulated limited procurement threshold. Allowing schools to contract these minor projects will guarantee a speedier recovery time in getting the schools that were impacted ready or as close to being ready for September,” said Johnson.

“We are also making an appeal to all stakeholders, to include the Parent Teachers’ Association, alumni associations, and the business community, to be actively engaged in the processes of repairing or rebuilding the schools in their communities. We must ensure that our schools are safe and conducive to teaching and learning,” Johnson stressed.

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com