Thirteen schools will close a month early this term as the Ministry of Education Transformation attempts to get a jump-start on school repairs.
However, the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) is questioning the effectiveness and efficiency of the ministry’s comprehensive maintenance plan.
In a release Tuesday under the subject “Early Closure of Schools”, from the office of the ministry’s permanent secretary to the affected principals and signed by Deputy Chief Education Officer Julia Beckles, the schools in eight parishes were identified for infrastructural work next month.
“The Ministry of Education Transformation informs you that term three, 2025-2026, will end for the students on June 11 and for staff on June 12, 2026. This early closure of the school is to allow for infrastructural work to commence at the school in late June 2026.
“The Ministry of Education Transformation thanks you for your usual cooperation and requests that you inform staff and parents accordingly. Additionally, you are to ensure that all items are stored securely.”
A check on the ministry’s website shows term three, the Trinity Term, ends on July 2 for students and July 3.
Some of the schools marked for repair next month include Blackman and Gollop Primary School in Christ Church, A. Dacosta Edwards Primary School in St Andrew, Hillaby Turners Hall Primary School in St Thomas and St George Primary School.
DLP spokesman on education Quincy Jones said: “[Government’s] maintenance plan was announced in 2024, then talked about in June last year and was again brought to public attention as recent as in the Estimates Debate earlier this year. It was reported in the media that the ministry had rolled out ‘an aggressive, year-round school repair programme and intensified safety and security standards to ensure that classrooms remain safe, resilient and fit for purpose for students, teachers and staff’.
“Then Minister of Education Kay McConney announced a significant shift in repairs to the island’s schools, moving from a summer-only programme to a year-round system. Her exact words: ‘The change is to address the growing infrastructural needs of schools whilst reducing disruption to the academic year. The new programme will extend throughout the academic year, with work being done on weekends and after school hours to avoid disruption.’
“In light of the above, the DLP wants to know why we are now faced with the early closure of 13 primary schools to facilitate urgent infrastructural repairs,” he said.
Jones said while the initiative may be viewed as both “necessary and proactive” in addressing long-standing maintenance concerns, “it is also
highly disruptive to teaching and learning at a critical stage of the academic year”.
“Any measure that removes instructional time from students must be carefully balanced against its wider impact on education delivery and family stability.
“The party notes with concern that earlier reports from the Education Technical Management Unit indicated that only four schools were scheduled for maintenance during the Easter period due to limited funding, namely Christ Church Girls’, Grantley Prescod, Workman’s Primary, and Deacons Primary. Yet, several of these institutions are now again listed for summer works, alongside additional schools being added to the list,” he said.
The education spokesman asked for answers to two questions: “Were the Easter repairs completed as originally planned and what changed between Easter and now to justify such widespread disruption?”
He added: “One can only hope that parents are not left to make sudden and unexpected arrangements, with limited time to adjust work schedules, child care and summer planning which might place unnecessary strain on families already navigating multiple responsibilities.”
The DLP said that while infrastructure upgrades were important, they must be executed within a “well-communicated, properly sequenced, and transparent framework”.
“Decisions that affect nearly 20 per cent of the island’s primary school system must be carefully planned to avoid unnecessary disruption to teaching, learning and family life,” Jones said.
General secretary of the Barbados National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations, Nicole Brathwaite, said she had not received any complaints as yet.
“A parent at one of the schools told me the work on her daughter’s school is definitely welcomed despite some dislocation. Principals and teachers are pivoting to bring forward plans for the term to ensure they can meet the revised end of term,” she said.
President of the Barbados Union of Teachers, Rudy Lovell, declined to comment. (CA)
