The students of St Matthews Government School were able to celebrate Children's Day with a brand new school building today. Their last one was destroyed by a fire almost two years ago, which forced MIDH and MOE to spring into action. Meanwhile, the kids had to make do outside the classrooms. But now, they're back in their new building. Courtney Menzies has this story.
In March 2023, a fire broke out inside the St Matthews Government School building. It left the staff and the ministry wondering how they would continue the school year. The children had just come back after two years of distant learning and were saddened that they'd have to go back to it. Even the food and snack vendors around the school were affected.
But almost two years later, the school has been rebuilt, better than ever, and earlier today the kids were celebrating Children's Day around it.
The school was officially inaugurated yesterday and Dr Louis Zabaneh, who was filling in for the Minister, explained what happened after his ministry got the news.
Dr Louis Zabaneh, Minister of State, Ministry of Education
"Immediately he contacted Minister Espat and in fact I was passing by a couple hours after on the road and I saw the two of them here on the campus that same day. They were supervising and looking at the situation on the ground. And I share the pride of my other colleagues working with them because in fact that is what service is all about. That is what our government is all about."
"We at the Ministry of Education work very hard to look not just at the quantity of people in school but also at the quality of your experience in school. So what this does by having the nice classroom space, it adds to both of those objectives that now all of you can come back, over 350 of you now in the classroom, with all your 18 teachers and your staff and your principal, everybody here on board, and now with a competency based, now focusing on the things that matter most."
Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development
"When the fire happened it was a very sad situation, we felt it. That had the possibility of destroying this community, that had the possibility of destroying the future of our children and we did not have a choice. We rolled up our sleeves and we made a decision, we'll get it done. We spoke to the chief, we spoke to the CEO, I did my part, I went and I lobbied hard."
"Before our team came in, there were barely any roads and the chair people can tell you from each village, that's what we're doing, we're raising the level so you can have a better quality of life. But we won't be here forever, we are only here for a short period of time and we have to mentor the younger ones so they can continue to better the communities we live. That is a dream I have and that's what we're fighting for."
And the principal of the school explained that the building was a testament to the staff and students' resilience.
Shakera Berry, Principal, St Matthews Government School
"The fire that destroyed our previous building was a painful chapter in our history. It took away a place that held countless memories, laughter and learning but from that disaster, we have risen stronger. This new building does more than replace what was lost, it allows us to forget the weight of our loss and embrace the magnitude of what we have gained. This building symbolizes our collective resilience and determination. It stands as a proof that together, we can overcome any obstacle."
We note that the media was not invited to the inauguration.
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