Education officials have announced a temporary solution for Cayman Islands Further Education Centre students which will see classes divided between two locations and a shift teaching system starting 16 Sept.
On Tuesday, the day before the official registration for CIFEC began on 28 Aug., education officials had informed parents that the Walkers Road 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 new arrangements, however, have left some parents with a bad taste given the short notice on the change and the challenge it poses for students who may already be facing some difficulties adjusting to the transition period in their academic life.
“I have no confidence in this change. I think maybe if they had kept us in the loop from the beginning and treated us with respect I would have a different perspective, but to come to us less than a week before it is to open is absolutely ridiculous and unforgivable,” a CIFEC student’s mother told the Cayman Compass on Friday morning as she reacted to the latest development.
A joint Ministry of Education and Department of Education Services statement on Friday outlined the new CIFEC plans which will see practical classes held at the new John Gray High School from 2pm to 4:30pm daily, while theory sessions will take place at the Family Life Centre earlier in the day.
The Family Life Centre will also serve as a central hub for students and teachers.
The angry parent said the actions of both the ministry and DES leading up to the announcement, and the turmoil before, “speak louder than their words and it shows that no one cares enough”.
The joint statement added that to “ensure smooth operations” students will be provided with transportation to and from home and between school sites, as well as daily free meals”.
The Compass has requested the overall cost for the use of the Family Life Centre as well as any impact that the changes may have on John Gray High School students who will now be sharing their facility.
We are awaiting a response from the ministry and DES.
The announcement of the new arrangements came months after asbestos was also confirmed at the school.
The presence of asbestos at the CIFEC site was contained in the findings of a pre-demolition inspection report prepared in February 2023 as part of the new John Gray High School project.
The contract for the additional phases of John Gray High School is still to be awarded.
‘Unconventional’ solution
Another mother, who said she initially sought enrolment at CIFEC for her son, told the Compass she was able to secure a place for him at UCCI instead with the subject passes he had achieved, and she was “grateful for that”.
“I cannot deal with that CIFEC situation. I had already bought him shirts for CIFEC, but now I have to get more shirts because UCCI [doesn’t require uniforms]. I do not mind he will not be at CIFEC any more. I wish they were more clearer in their communications,” she said.
CIFEC Director Mark Seerattan, in the joint statement, said the institutions “worked diligently” to identify suitable alternative sites that were near each other as well as to “provide students with access to specialist resources and has space for student and staff collaboration”.
The first CIFEC mother to speak with the Compass Friday said she believes that officials had done an injustice to the students.
“They should be ashamed of themselves,” she said, adding that in her view someone needs to be held accountable for their “incompetence and nonchalant behaviour” regarding the situation that parents and students now face.
“This is definitely nowhere near a fix and I find it unacceptable. Furthermore, our children deserve an apology,” she said, adding the matter should also be reported to the Human Rights Commission as it impacts the children’s rights.
DES Director Mark Ray, through the joint statement, said that both the ministry and department recognise that the arrangement “is unconventional, but we are fully committed to providing our staff and students with the best possible resources despite the circumstances”.
He said the strategic location of the Family Life Centre near John Gray’s “state-of-the-art equipment ensures that our students’ educational experience remains top-notch”.
Ray said that during this time officials will continue to closely monitor the progress of the new facility and “provide parents with regular updates”.
The education ministry and DES have asked for questions or concerns to be emailed to CIFEC at [email protected] and [email protected].
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When will the new facility be ready?, Govt. based on it’s track record will never say, as they will never commit to a deadline they cannot keep.