The Could Pen Toddler College in Clarendon has been remodeled into a contemporary, two-storey construction, with improved facilities to raised meet the wants of the establishment’s 147 college students and employees.
The renovation and enlargement challenge, undertaken via funding of $139 million by the Tradition, Well being, Arts, Sports activities and Schooling (CHASE) Fund, consists of 10 new lecture rooms, a sickbay, rest room services for college students and employees, storage areas, a lunchroom, a contemporary kitchen, perimeter fencing, classroom furnishings, and important gear to assist efficient instructing and studying.
Addressing the official handover on Tuesday (February 10), Chief Government Officer of the CHASE Fund, W. Billy Heaven, mentioned it’s the single largest early-childhood challenge that the company has undertaken, and is meant to supply a safer, sounder, and extra stimulating house for studying.
“In early-childhood schooling, we create a studying setting and that’s what we got down to do right here via this renovation. We hope to construct a stronger basis to foster the event of our youngest minds right here and all over the place else in Jamaica,” he mentioned.
Mr. Heaven reported that the Fund has, up to now, invested $7.74 billion in early-childhood schooling, together with the constructing, reconstruction, restore, and equipping of colleges throughout the island.
He famous that the establishments are constructed to be resilient.
“All the faculties that we have now inbuilt western Jamaica… 13 model new colleges, we have now not misplaced a single one in Hurricane Melissa, not even a sheeting of the roof. So, we have now constructed with resilience. Our engineering work is second to none, and we’ll guarantee that we’ll proceed this legacy within the years to return,” Mr. Heaven pledged.
Director of Regional Companies, Ministry of Schooling, Abilities, Youth and Info, Barrington Richardson, mentioned that early-childhood schooling is a “main pillar of our success for schooling and for our nation”.
“For the CHASE Fund to repeatedly spend money on schooling at this degree is one thing that’s worthy of point out and to have a good time. The results of that funding is a state-of-the-art facility that now supplies a secure, stimulating and developmentally applicable setting for our younger learners,” he famous.
In his remarks, Chairman of the college board, Carlton Knight, mentioned that the funding by the CHASE Fund has enabled lecturers and college students to function in an setting “that displays progress, dignity, and risk”.
Mr. Knight, who’s a previous pupil of the establishment, mentioned that “standing right here at present witnessing the transformation of a spot that helped form my very own basis makes this event deeply private and profoundly significant”.
Mayor of Could Pen, Councillor Joel Williams, who additionally attended Could Pen Toddler College, lauded the CHASE Fund for the enlargement and upgrading achieved.
He famous that “many individuals in and round Could Pen, shakers of enterprise, our current Custos is a product of this establishment. It has made many people into who we’re at present”.
