2023 BUDGET PROVIDES THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION WITH MUCH-NEEDED RESOURCES THAT WILL IMPROVE THE DELIVERY OF EDUCATION – DR. HANLEY

Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 20, 2022 (SKNIS): The Ministry of Education will embark on a comprehensive mandate in 2023 to enhance the delivery of education across the Federation. During his Budget presentation on December 16, 2022, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Honourable Dr. Geoffrey Hanley outlined the way forward for Education.
 
“The Ministry of Education is mandated in 2023 to effectively utilize $111.9 Million in spending to ensure that our schools are safe spaces for our children and teachers alike. There will be a vigorous programme of renovation, maintenance and general upkeep of our schools. In 2023, our focus will be on outfitting all bathrooms in our schools to be hygienic and fitting of the dignity with which we should treat our students. Focus will also be made to overhaul the electrical infrastructure in our schools. The lights should be working and electrical outlets should be adequate and in working order in all of our schools. We have budgeted to seriously undertake this initiative in 2023. It was really painful for me when I visited all of my schools and saw the state some of our schools are in,” said Minister Dr. Hanley.
 
The Minister of Education indicated that in the space of only three (3) short months since assuming office he has visited all government and private Secondary and Primary school and early childhood centres in both St. Kitts and in Nevis. Minister Dr. Hanley specified that no school will be left behind in the Ministry’s ongoing efforts.
 
“A school improvement initiative was also promised in last year’s Budget, in the 2022 Budget. The difference between the 2023 Budget allocation which was promised in 2022 is that there is now an administration which is serious about delivering the programmes, safer schools for our children, and we intend to deliver just that. We intend to deliver it through the expansion of the School Maintenance Unit within the Ministry of Education. We intend to hire and partner with more skilled maintenance workers to keep our school plant at peak readiness to support learning. Our teachers and students will be better served through the policy actions of the Ministry of Education through the provision of this 2023 Budget,” he said.  
 
In only three months, a comprehensive audit was completed of all the schools in the Federation in an effort to assess the needs of each school. The Ministry of Education will deploy the resources necessary to ensure that the delivery of education is not hindered by any infrastructure issues.