Sod Turning Ceremony at Vide Bouteille Combined

29th June 2021

By Department of Education

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The Department of Education, Innovation and Gender Relations, under the Education Quality Improvement Project (EQuIP), broke ground recently for the construction of the school block at the Vide Bouteille Combined School. The block will comprise three levels, with the third and second levels each housing five classrooms with accompanying male and female washroom facilities. The ground floor will serve as an open breezeway with male and female bathroom facilities.

Parliamentary Representative for the Castries North Hon Stephenson King, in whose constituency the school is located, says he has advocated for the school’s upgrade for many years, and thinks the new wing to be constructed will add quality to the instruction received by students and boost their abilities for higher education at secondary schools of their choice, some of which are located within the district.

"I believe we are on the home stretch to the finish line to ensure those who are here now who are students and who are participating in this exercise, can associate themselves with a vision for education in this country. A determination for better education, better school facilities and the fulfillment of an education institution that can continue to participate in one of the more, if not the most successful education district on the island by having the cream of the crop in secondary education and cream of the crop in primary education."

The sod turning ceremony conducted by government last week follows on the heels of another conducted just over a week ago for the construction of the La Guerre Primary School.

Minister for Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development Hon Gale Riogobert says the Ministry is actively pursuing the overall transformation of the nation’s education sector, in order to make those who benefit from it more globally competitive.

"While many important determinants of effective learning are beyond the systemic control, it is imperative that we collectively optimize the effects that we can control. One undervalued yet key determinant in fostering student achievement in the physical leaning environment or the quality of the school plants which impacts on the student moral and teacher commitment."

The project also provides enhanced parking facilities for staff and visitors, upgraded water storage capacity and an improved sewerage solution for the entire school. The contract for the unit’s Construction has been awarded to Construction Industrial Equipment Ltd. (CIE) at a cost of EC$4.5 million.

Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Hon Allen Chastanet told students gathered at the ceremony to embrace their weaknesses in order to overcome them and excel in their education like many before them.

"You must embrace failure. You must embrace an idea and believe in it, until somebody proves to you that it is not true. But now your power of knowledge becomes greater because you’ve learnt firsthand. This is what this smart school is all about."

Government will break ground for the construction of a new unit at the Gordon and Walcott Methodist school on Thursday this week. The contract has been awarded to Prudy’s Construction Services Ltd., at a cost of EC$6.5 million.

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