Following a fire at the St Andrew’s Anglican Primary School on Friday, 13 October which destroyed one building that housed 9 classes and damaged other nearby buildings and their contents, officials at the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture initiated its emergency response mechanism.
Beginning in the early morning hours of 14 October, ministry officials, including the Minister for Education Sen. the Hon. David Andrew; Permanent Secretary Elvis Morain, and acting Chief Education Officer Alana Felix-Roberts, travelled to the active fire site to ascertain the nature of the situation and the extent of the damage. During the visit, they provided support to acting Principal Jennifer Rodney, teachers and staff. The team was later joined by representatives from the National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA); the President of the Grenada Union of Teachers Jude Bartholomew; and the Chief Technical Officer at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Physical Development, Kevin Blache, to conduct further assessments. The Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) was also on site to undertake the necessary investigation.
Following this, ministry officials engaged in an emergency meeting and made several key decisions about the immediate way forward. These include:
- All classes at the St Andrew’s Anglican Primary School are suspended effective Monday, 16 October to Friday, 20 October 2023
- Sunday, 15 October: A team from the Ministry of Education will conduct site visits to facilitate relocation of the school
- Monday, 16 October 16: A special church service for all staff and students of the school will be facilitated by the Anglican Church and the Ministry of Education during the morning period. Following this, various psychosocial support sessions for students and staff will be facilitated by the Student Support Services Unit of the Ministry of Education.
- Tuesday, 17 October: The Ministry will hold discussions with representatives from the School Board as well as the PTA executive, and members of staff to finalise arrangements for the school’s immediate continued operations.
The relevant stakeholders will be apprised of any new developments as necessary.
The safety and psychosocial wellbeing of staff and students and the continuity of teaching and learning are of foremost importance. Consequently, efforts will be ongoing until viable solutions are finalised and implemented to ensure that there is as minimal disruption to classes as possible.
The Ministry extends its thanks and appreciation to all stakeholders, particularly the principal, staff, students and parents of the school, for their patience, support and cooperation during this challenging period. We look forward to working with you as we focus on solutions.
Finally, the Ministry empathises with all the parties impacted by this unfortunate situation and reaffirms its commitment to providing all the requisite support to ensure that St Andrew’s Anglican Primary School continues to thrive.
GIS
