The Government of Turks and Caicos Islands through the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sport and Library Services and with financial support from the Caribbean Development Banks’s Basic Needs Trust Fund, (BNTF) broke ground on the first Early Childhood Development Centre (ECDC) at the Ona Glinton Primary School. According to Edrea Marques Project Manager for the Centre and BNTF locally, “the BNTF funds for cycle 7 and 8 focused specifically on the aim to increase access to high quality Early Childhood Development in Grand Turk and ultimately in the entire Turks and Caicos Islands to ensure that students transition seamlessly to the next level of their schooling.”
Building the three class room concrete structure is Olympic Construction. Taking four months to complete, when finished, the centre will house, two well-equipped playing areas, three class rooms with a technology center, reading and soft corner a rest corner, a blocks play area and also an art and central meeting area. The center will be able to accommodate up to 80 children. This project will be built at a cost of five hundred and forty nine thousand; two hundred and sixty four point eight US dollars ($549,264.80) TCIG’s contribution is 5% of the total costs.
The project is not all about buildings and a sub project is the training program to be conducted for over twenty (20) ECD teachers in the first instance and delivered by the TCI Community College, will be implemented, in addition 10 ECD officers, teachers and policy makers will conduct a study tour to Jamaica Early Childhood Commission. A National Comprehensive Screening too and protocol for infant, toddler and young children (ages 0 – 6 years ) will also be developed .
The Hon. Premier Dr. Rufus Ewing, was on hand to congratulate the Ministry of Education and thank the CDB for delivering on this part of the Government’s Education vision. Also present was the Hon. George Lightbourne who in his remarks pointed out to the Ona Glinton Family that they were blessed. The Deputy Governor Hon. Anya Williams reiterated this and both speakers indicated, that this was one school that received significant investment over the years. They called on the principal, teachers and staff to continue their thankfulness and dedication to their institution.
The Minister with responsibility for Education, Hon. Akierra Missick, ushered the team to the turn the ground. She expressed her pleasure in being at the Ona Glinton Primary School for another sod turning event and is looking forward to the grand opening in four months’ time. The Minister thanked her Ministry team, Public Works Department, Ministry of Finance (SPPU) and her Ministerial Colleagues again for the support in recognizing the importance of financing development in Education, ‘Early Childhood Development sets the foundation on which our children will be developed throughout the education system and so I am truly supportive of this center being replicated throughout the islands to improve ECD in our country’ She was joined by Hon. Porsha Stubbs, Ed Dickenson , contractor, Permanent Secretary Cherylann Jones, Gwen Harvey Principal, along with colleagues mentioned above, CDB economist Kent Vital and Brandon Williams, early childhood student, for the turning of the ground.