S.J.C. Breaks Ground for State of the Art Science Facility
Construction of a new five-million dollar building is about to begin on the compound of Saint John’s College in Belize City. Over the years, there has been a continuous and growing interest by students in the sciences which has rendered the current facility inadequate to meet the curiosity of the budding scientists. SJC is investing five million dollars on its expansion programme. Here is News Five’s Hipolito Novelo.
Hipolito Novelo, Reporting
Ground was broken today for the construction of a state of the art science facility at Saint John’s College in Belize City. President, Mirtha Peralta says that the college started planning for the new facility five years ago. The building is needed, says Peralta, because the college’s science programme continues to expand.
Mirtha Peralta
Mirtha Peralta, President, S.J.C.
“It is a modern science facility with seven different laboratories, new mathematics lab and also robotics. We are making sure that we a delivering current programmes for our students. Ten years ago the science programme has been increasing in enrollment and so for the past five years the number for students who have enrolled in that programme has exceeded what was the longest programme, the business administration, and so the current science facility is not adequate. It does not have modern equipment for the current scientists and so we want to be able to be current ad delivery to our students an d the Belizean public quality, modern programme.”
Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Michael Coye, says that the facility does not only signify physical growth but as well for the school’s education system.
Michael Coye
Michael Coye, Chairman, Board of Trustees
“The building is certainly the start of something new. It is expansion not only of the campus but it will be an expansion of the educational services that we provide in the future. So it is an opportunity for much better growth for the education institution.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Would you hope that with this new building in 2021 that more students would be look at SJC to be enrolled?”
Michael Coye
“I think so. I think that it will offer a lot of new opportunity in terms of the approach to teaching and learning. Certainly it will be a selling point for the institution both for the high school and junior college.”
The facility will come at a cost of five million dollars and is expected to be completed in 2021.
Mirtha Peralta
“The building is estimated to cost around five million dollars. We are hoping that we are going to be able to call on our alumni to make sure that they contribute to his project. I think all Belizeans suppose to contribute to this modern facility. In fact we have graduated since 1887 thousands of graduates of this country that are in prominent position. In fact three of our prime ministers are graduates of SJC and we are hoping that we will also be able to call of them to say how they can assist this endeavor because it is important not for Saint John’s College but for the country of Belize.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Hipolito Novelo.
