No more waiting until the long summer months to begin repairs on schools according to Minister of Education Jeffrey Lloyd, who recently said the process of renovating and repairing schools will be reformed.

“The process has to be reformed. The process has to be made relevant and responsive to the 21st century needs of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas,” Mr. Lloyd said earlier this week.

“We are under review of everything that we have met since we came into office and this is no exception.”

Mr. Lloyd revealed that through partnership with the Ministry of Works, schools will be ready throughout the year as there is not sufficient time to make necessary repairs only during the summer months.

“It is impossible for you to wait until school is ended in the summer time around May, June before you begin the necessary repairs and renovations that many of these institutions, as I described to you earlier, that are in a great state of disrepair in some instances hopeless state of disrepair, that you could wait until the summer time to affect these repairs, especially when you consider as I indicated a moment ago that the system itself is not as responsive as it needs to be, urgently needed to be in the 21^st century requirements of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas,” he said.

He further stated that the reform process will be seen as soon as the next cycle of upgrade and repairs.

“We’ve got to reform the process. We have to look at making something different, doing something different with regard to continuing maintenance of schools,” Mr. Lloyd said.

“We cannot wait until June, July to fix a bathroom or to fix a lock or to fix any electrical or mechanical or air conditioning problems, while we expect our teachers and administrators, staff and students to operate in less than ideal circumstances as our resources would permit.

“So, the expectation is this is the last summer you’re going to see any of this operate under the present paradigm, school system or system of repairs or maintenance that it has been for these many decades.

“I fully expect that almost immediately our ministerial team will gather along with the minister of works and elsewhere to ensure that schools will be ready and operative throughout the year not wait until some mythical summer time to effect repairs.”

Mr. Lloyd confirmed that schools across the country will be open on September 4 when students are set to return.

“I must say that across the country however, schools will open on time, there are minor repairs that have yet to be completed for any number of reasons,” Mr. Lloyd said.

“I think you may have previously spoken with the minister of works and he may have described to you some of the inconveniences and irritations that may have beset the process this summer, but never the less there is going to be an opening of school on September the 4^th, in a couple of days.”