The Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) has given its blessing to the early closure of 13 primary schools to make way for a major Government refurbishment programme.
“The union does not have any fundamental difficulty with the initiative,” said president Rudy Lovell, noting that the union has long pushed for better facilities.
The BUT was not opposed to an extensive school upgrade programme aimed at enhancing the teaching and learning environment for students and staff, he said.
Lovell said that concerns would only arise if the works run past the summer break and spill into the new school year, disrupting students and teachers at the start of term.
The 13 schools shut their doors ahead of the official summer holiday to allow the Ministry of Education Transformation to kick off its school refurbishment drive.
Director of the Education Technical Management Unit, Wayne Baker, said the upgrades are designed to bring greater structural and climate resilience, improved air quality, enhanced health and safety features, and a modernised look overall.
By the time the summer break officially begins, the programme is expected to expand further, with a total of 35 schools earmarked for structural upgrades. The programme is expected to be completed before the new academic year begins in September. (DDS)