New classrooms for St. John’s Primary
St. John’s Primary School is responding to the demands of a growing student population with the construction of a new school building. The structure, which will house two standard five and two standard six classes, replaces a previously condemned wooden structure. The Principal of St. John’s Primary, Grace Williams, says that the new classrooms will seat one hundred and twenty-five students.
Grace Williams, Principal St. John’s Primary
“Space was very limited. We had no space for any corners to enhance education, so we have been trying to get this building for a while now. The minister rescued us, he came to our rescue and consented to build the building for us and here we are today with it. It’s a very badly needed building. We had been turning children away because we didn’t have the space, but now we’ll be able to take in more children who really need to be in school.”
Cordel Hyde, Minister of Education
“This is only one in a series of schools that are getting classrooms right as I speak. We are building classrooms at Excelsior High School, some additional ones at Sadie Vernon, St. Luke’s Methodist, at Canaan High School, St. Martin De Porres, that’s only Belize City. Pretty soon Stella Maris will be getting a brand new two storey building.”
Dickie Bradley, Minister of Housing
“Education like health, is crucial to the improvement and the development of our people. And what better way to show that we’re totally committed to the improvement and upliftment of our people on the south side than to ensure that every child, every child on the south side of Belize city must be in a primary school. That is why I went to the Prime Minister who readily approved the fifty thousand dollars. It cost us fifty-two thousand dollars to put down this large building here in order to ensure that not one child on the south side of Belize City is at home because they can’t get a space in a classroom, that is what it’s all about.”
Bradley said that the school building is built to accommodate the addition of an upper flat for further expansion.
