$1.6b for long-overdue fixes at three west Kgn high schools

A total of $1.6 billion is being allocated to three high schools in the Kingston Western region for long-overdue upgrades, Education Minister Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon told their principals on Thursday. Morris Dixon, who made the disclosure at the Kingston Western Principals’ Awards function, identified the three schools as Denham Town High, Kingston High, and St Andrew Technical High (STATHS). Morris Dixon said Kingston Western Member of Parliament Desmond McKenzie had long advocated the need for educational support in the constituency.

Now, Denham Town High is set to receive funds to assist with the rebuilding of its facilities. “Denham Town High School, your Member of Parliament has talked non-stop to my ministry about that project; it is currently at the Public Procurement Committee, which is its last step before going to Cabinet,” she said, adding that rebuilding would start within two years after Cabinet approval. The news delighted Principal Yvette Richards-Thompson who said the rebuilding will allow teachers to provide quality service.

“The building that was proposed has been a long time coming. It is an administrative building which includes vocational areas and some other essential areas. With this now we will be able to cater more to our students’ needs,” Richards-Thompson said, adding that the new facilities will make the learning environment more comfortable.

“One of our main buildings was damaged by the earthquake two years ago, and that building housed four classrooms plus two science labs, and so that is a significant loss. And considering also safety, we do not want buildings that would pose a risk to our students,” she said. Denham Town High is experiencing a major revolution, with the results of its students in external examinations improving rapidly while instances of misconduct have declined sharply.

The school recorded an 88 per cent pass rate in mathematics in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) this year, up from 11 per cent last year, with its overall pass rate at the CSEC level improving from 48 per cent last year to 73 per cent this year. On Wednesday Richards-Thompson told the Jamaica Observer that the improvement was the result of deliberate strategic planning, including providing extra classes and identifying and addressing students’ learning gaps. Meanwhile McKenzie, at Thursday’s function, said there is a …