Cabinet Committed to Solving BHS Issue

(ZIZ News) — Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, the Hon. Shawn Richards said Cabinet is committed to resolving the shift system between the Washington Archibald High School and the Basseterre High School [BHS].

Speaking during a radio programme this week, Minister Richards said the government remains committed to building a brand new Basseterre High School.

“It is our aim to bring an end as soon as possible to shift system and we are still committed to building a brand new Basseterre High School. I said in my last statement in Parliament, there have been a number of sites we are considering, and we still considering those sites,” Richards said.

“We have had visits to Cabinet by the technical persons…last week Saturday; not a normal work day for government; we had a number of technical people who met representing the stakeholder groups; the teachers, PTA, management from the two schools – the Basseterre High School and Washington Archibald High – who met last week Saturday outside of normal working hours to look at the Basseterre High School situation, to provide advice to Cabinet and basically to give an input into what they think is the best way forward in the Basseterre High School situation,” he continued.

Minister Richards was at the time responding to questions following the public release of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health [NIOSH] report on conditions at BHS.

He called on all stakeholders to remain patient as the government finds the best possible solution for the students and teachers of BHS.

“We’re asking the students, we’re asking the parents, we’re asking the public to be patient because it is not a situation that can be solved overnight. It’s a time consuming situation but I give them the full assurance that the Cabinet is spending quite a bit of time dealing with this particular issue. As a matter of fact, I think from a Cabinet point of view, this is one matter that has taken the most time of the Cabinet to date because the matter is before the Cabinet almost on a weekly basis,” he said.