Months after asbestos was confirmed at the Cayman Islands Further Education Centre, officials are working to secure alternative locations to teach students during the 2024/25 school year, which is already under way.
The Ministry of Education and Department of Education Services announced Tuesday, the day before CIFEC registration began on 28 Aug., that the school would need to temporarily operate from a different site due to “unexpected delays in completing the renovations to the former George Hicks site”.
The release did not clarify the nature of the delays nor did it address the asbestos issues at the current CIFEC campus.
The presence of asbestos at the CIFEC site was outlined in a pre-demolition inspection report prepared in February 2023 as part of the new John Gray High School project.
The Ministry of Education confirmed those findings to the Cayman Compass in May this year and said CIFEC students would be relocated from the Walkers Road campus in July.
Tuesday’s press release, however, indicated that relocation efforts were still ongoing.
“We have been collaborating closely with the DES and the administrators of the Clifton Hunter and John Gray High Schools to finalise plans for the start of school, and will announce specific details shortly,” said CIFEC Director Mark Seerattan in Tuesday’s press release.
DES told Cayman Compass that neither site had been confirmed.
CIFEC’s relocation has long been part of the overall John Gray redevelopment project, which began more than 15 years ago. The remaining phases of that project, including the relocation of CIFEC students to the former George Hicks High School site, have continued to face delays.
Options currently being explored, the ministry said, include “split-site arrangements and alternative ways to leverage available resources and spaces without compromising the quality of education”.
CIFEC students were expected to begin induction for the school year on Monday.
DES Director Mark Ray said the department recognised the “inconvenience and uncertainty” of the situation and was working to “minimise disruptions”. He said the department is in constant communication with the project team.
The February 2023 pre-demolition inspection report on CIFEC, prepared by Vertex Companies, said, “Based on the sampling and analysis of suspect materials, asbestos is present in floor tiles, the associated mastic, textured ceiling paints, and sink putty below the science classroom sinks.”
The ministry has said that no asbestos particles were found to be airborne at the school and there was no need for concern.
Prolonged asbestos exposure can lead to health issues like lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma.
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