The sod has officially been turned to mark the beginning of the new EC$40.6 million St. David’s Catholic Secondary School at its new site in Marlmount, St. David.
Speaking at the July 7 sod turning, the principal of the St. David’s Catholic Secondary School, Gary Jones, said, “This $40 million dollar plus investment is a big bet into the transformation and rejuvenation of this community, and it will begin with a brand new St. David’s Catholic Secondary School.”
The contract for construction of the school was signed on July 3. The supervising firm for the school’s construction is Beston Consulting and the selected contractor is Construction and Industrial Equipment Ltd., part of the Rayneau family of businesses based in St. Lucia.
The new building’s footprint measures approximately 13,000.00 square feet and will accommodate up to 500 students and 40 staff. The school will be constructed on a four-acre lot and will consists of three main blocks, one being two stories and the others three. There will be a total of 15 classrooms, including technical labs dedicated to electronics, technical drawing, woodwork and visual arts. Laboratories for the sciences, information technology, clothing, home management and food and nutrition have also been included. For the staff, it features a spacious staffroom with a kitchenette. On the exterior, there will be an outdoor court, assembly area and acres of green space to promote student’s holistic development, physical activity and social interaction. The design also includes a wheelchair lift. Other amenities include parking spaces, site drainage, fencing, road improvements and wastewater treatment.
This project is being implemented by the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Ministry of Infrastructure, as part of the Grenada Education Enhancement Project (GEEP). It is jointly funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Government of Grenada through a loan agreement. This is the third new school project started under GEEP, with the prior ones being the Grenada Christian Academy and the St. Andrew’s Anglican Primary School, which are also in progress.
In his remarks at the sod turning ceremony, Prime Minister and Parliamentary Representative for St. David, Hon. Dickon Mitchell, thanked all key partners.
He said, “For all of those who, in the past, have contributed in one way or the other in ensuring that notwithstanding the difficult challenges the physical infrastructure of the school experienced and all those who played their part in ensuring that the principal, the staff, management and the students could continue their education and human development at the institution, I want to put on record our profound appreciation and gratitude for the roles you play.”
The Prime Minister impressed upon the contractor his expectation of having a superior product delivered in a timely manner. He explained that the facility, once complete, will be important for lifelong learning opportunities for citizens of all ages, emphasising that learning has no expiry date. The Minister for Education Sen. The Hon. David Andrew explained that every effort was made to acquire the land at Marlmount and secure funding for the project.
The Education Minister said, “The millions we spend is not just about the beautiful edifice and facility, but it must translate into genuine, more updated and improved outcomes for our nation’s children.”
Minister Andrew thanked stakeholders and the project teams. The project officer at the Ministry of Education is Ruth Charles and the engineers at the Ministry of Infrastructure are Tiffani Donald and Johnathan Andrew.
CDB Divisional Chief of the Social Sector Division, Martin Baptiste, reflected on the kind of schools Grenada typically had for learning in the past. He expressed the 21st Century vision of having spaces that are more friendly to teaching and learning and which “affirm the dignity of those who inhabit the space”.
He said, “We’ve reached the point where we need to move beyond just place and space to giving them an experience.”
Bishop for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint George’s, Clyde Harvey, expressed his appreciation to the Prime Minister and his team for ensuring that several projects, including the current one, are being realized within the parish of St. David.
In an interview following the contract signing ceremony a few days earlier, project manager and civil engineer at Construction and Industrial Equipment Ltd., Pawan Joshi, said, “This project is one of the biggest projects, not only in Grenada but in the region, in terms of building a school and this is a very highly advanced school with all the features of climate proofing and everything involved in this school. So, this is an excellent design that has been done by the consultants.”
Others present at the sod turning ceremony included Minister for Tourism, the Creative Economy, and Culture, Sen. Hon. Adrian Thomas; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Lorraine St. Louis Nedd and other staff of the Ministry of Education; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure Alva Browne; School Manager Father Carl Haynes, staff and students of the school, community members and members of Construction and Industrial Equipment Ltd. Team, among others.
