Time for classrooms to be energy-efficient

The time has come for classrooms to be energy-efficient, equipped with photovoltaic cells and green spaces.

So says Chief Education Officer Dr. Ramona Archer-Bradshaw, on the education reform that the Ministry of Education has undertaken.

She was speaking during the Modern School Infrastructure Design Competition at the Courtyard by Marriott, which is being conducted through the Barbados Association of Architects.

Under the Skills for the Future Programme II, funded by the Inter-American Development Bank, $9 million has been allocated to upgrade ten primary schools in dire need of refurbishment.

However, IDB Director of the Change Management Unit, Dr. Paul Murphy says a beautification of secondary schools is also in the pipeline, with approximately seven schools earmarked for upgrade in the short to medium term.

He says many of the island’s schools were over 50 years old with little to no maintenance carried out.

Dr. Murphy notes to date, there have been no submissions for the competition which closes on May 10.

However, he anticipates by the end of this week submissions will start to pour in to facilitate upgrades to all 105 secondary schools across the island.

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