Students of the Althea Scatliffe Primary School will mainly be temporarily housed at Enis Adams Primary School in Meyers Estate and Francis Lettsome Primary School in Greenland, while the school building remains shut due to safety concerns. Photo: VINO/File

Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports, Hon Sharie B. de Castro (AL) said arrangements are being made to accommodate twenty-four to thirty students from grade two at Enid Scatliffe Pre-Primary School in Road Town and that the other grade two students will be dispersed to schools according to their place of residence. Photo: GIS/File

According to Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports, Hon Sharie B. de Castro (AL), with the closure of the building, Ministry officials started to plan for the relocation of the Althea Scatliffe Primary School and explored several options in an effort to secure a suitable space for the school to resume in September.

“The first option and main goal was to find a space large enough to house the entire school of approximately 375 students and 40 staff members as well as to find a space for the Eslyn Henley Richez Learning Centre of 15 Students with special needs and six staff members. This search included exploring available commercial spaces or erecting temporary spaces,” Hon de Castro explained in a statement on Friday, July 29, 2022.

She also said the second option was to find spaces in the existing schools to subdivide the students and staff.

The decision

After considering all options and the many factors, Hon de Castro said it was decided that the Grades five and six students from Althea Scatliffe Primary will be placed at the Enis Adams Primary School and that siblings of students in grades five or six will also be accommodated at Enis Adams Primary.

The Education Minister said students of Grades three and four will be accommodated at Francis Lettsome Primary School.

Additionally, Hon de Castro said arrangements are being made to accommodate twenty-four to thirty students from grade two at Enid Scatliffe Pre-Primary School in Road Town and that the other grade two students will be dispersed to schools according to their place of residence. 

“Where space is available, students residing in outlying communities may be accommodated at the school nearest them,” Hon de Castro said.

Gov’ to stand transportation cost for relocated students

It was also announced that the Ministry of Education will cover the cost of transportation from a central location in town for students who will need transportation to their assigned school location and that further details about this will be forthcoming.

It was stated that students from the Althea Scatliffe Primary have the option of remaining in their school’s uniform or wearing the uniform of the school they will be accommodated at.

“We are working assiduously to ensure that the Enis Adams Primary School and Francis Lettsome Primary School are ready to accommodate the temporary changes to facilitate the increase in numbers at the respective learning institutions,” Hon de Castro said.

Further assessments being done on ASPS building

In the meantime, a further assessment is being done on the Althea Scatliffe Primary School building to determine whether the school will be rebuilt or remodelled. 

“We will provide more information following the assessment. 

“Meetings have already been held with all stakeholders and they have been duly informed of the decision for the temporary arrangement for the Althea Scatliffe Primary School,” Hon de Castro said.