Thursday marked a momentous day for education in Grand Cayman with the official groundbreaking ceremonies for the Island’s three new high schools.
The sign for the new high school on Frank Sound Road is unveiled Thursday. Photo: Basia Pioro |
Dignitaries, Department of Education staff, students, designers, builders and members of the community joined Minister Alden McLaughlin for a morning of dedications and ceremonial bulldozing to mark the first phase of the project, site works.
Construction is set to commence in January.
‘We have long recognised that education is one of the cornerstones upon which hinges the future well-being of our people and our country,’ said Minister McLaughlin.
‘By working in collaboration with all who hold a stake in their success, we have sought to ensure that our new high school campuses will truly enable the delivery of a world-class education to students of Cayman.’
Showing an unexpected prowess at the bulldozer controls, Mr. McLaughlin successfully broke ground at all three sites, much to the amusement of those in attendance.
Despite the bumps encountered along the road to this new era of education in Cayman which will be accompanied by a major overhaul of the national curriculum, ministry and department staff expressed their delight in the progress that has been made.
‘These new schools will certainly help us in our mission to inspire our students to embrace learning and knowledge once they pass through the entrance doors,’ said Chief Education Officer Shirley Waller.
At the first groundbreaking of the day at the new site of the new John Gray High School was packed with onlookers as Chief Education Ministry Officer Angela Martins led the proceedings.
In her remarks she mentioned how far schooling has come since members of her own class entered high school carrying smoke pots and lunch pails full of rice and beans.
Governor Stuart Jack remarked that not only will the new sites provide a vibrant new learning environment, the extensive sports facilities will further the commitment to healthy minds and healthy bodies for Cayman’s children.
All schools will take on a modular design, divided into 250-student academies housed in two-storey pods linked to other campus buildings by covered walkways, state of the art gymnasiums, cricket-size multipurpose playing fields and multi-use global learning centres.
The John Gray campus will be constructed on the existing John Gray site in George Town. It will initially house 1,000 students, meaning four pods will be constructed.
The groundbreaking ceremonies continued at the Beulah Smith Campus in West Bay, where the buildings housing the school’s academies will surround the existing Jimmy Powell cricket oval, which will be incorporated into the school grounds.
Mr. McLaughlin said two pods housing 500 students will be constructed in this first phase, and more pods will be added as needs arise.
Lastly, the group made its way to Frank Sound, where the new Clifton Hunter Campus will be constructed immediately south of the Frank Sound Road fire station. Three pods are slated for construction, to house 750 students.
Both of these brand-new campuses will also feature 25-metre swimming pools.
Ministry and Department staff worked closely with designers, planners, and community members to ensure all of the new school campuses will benefit not only the students attending them, but the communities they are serving.
‘Within the bounds of our new campuses, every student will finally enjoy access to the full range of state of the art facilities and amenities they require for the unhindered development of their potential,’ said Mr. McLaughlin.
‘Beyond campus boundaries, our new model for education ensures that these campuses will also serve the needs of the wider community, in the spirit of building life-long learning to these islands, which is so critical to our success.’
All three schools are expected to be completed by the beginning of the 2009 school year.
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