 The construction of a new primary school in the community of Lage-Barbono is underway following a sword-turning ceremony on the grounds of the building site recently. Chris Satney reports. The project is being undertaken at a cost of some $7.5 million E.C. dollars through funding from the Government of St. Lucia and co-financed by the Caribbean Development Bank, the CDB. Being executed under the Education Quality Improvement Project, EQUIP, the new LaGare Primary School building will comprise a basement, ground floor and a top floor. The top floor will house four classrooms, a library which will also house an IT laboratory and a music room. The ground floor will house four classrooms, a sick bay, staff room and principal's office. The basement will house an open breezeway, male and female washrooms, and a janitorial storage area. Prime Minister Alan Chastney, who spoke at the sword-turning ceremony, says students within today's modern world must be given the skills necessary to help them adapt, think for themselves, and to continuously strive to be the best. This is the vision. This is the future. This is understanding the capacity of our country to be able to grow, and it's recognizing that the infrastructure, the smart school in itself, is not sufficient. And that's why a big part of the EQUIP program has been the first part for the first three years has been about training the teachers to be in a smart school. There's no point in giving a child an E-pad if the teacher doesn't understand it. If the teacher themselves don't have the vision of where we need to go to be successful in the future, and we cannot continue to rely on the faith alone, that what the teachers are doing is going to be successful. The school was due to be constructed under the basic Education and Enhancement B project, but was delayed as a result of the passage of Hurricane Thomas, which resulted in the Ministry of Education diverting funds to repair the many schools that were ravaged by the 2010 cyclone. Minister for Education, Innovation, Gender Relations, and Sustainable Development Honourable Dr. Gail Briggebot says the new smart school will be equipped to better prepare students to exist in a world that is continuously advancing. It needs to be smart in terms of the infrastructural integrity and its ability to withstand climatic events. It needs to be smart to the extent that it incorporates information, communication, technology. It needs to be smart to cater for the multiple intelligences of our students. It needs to be smart to reflect our own incorporation of renewable forms of energy. It needs to be smart in recognising that our students have different mental and physical capacities and so we must cater for those. MP for Barbano Honourable E. C. L. Joseph says the project is long overdue and says he looks forward to finally addressing the issues of the school which has been temporarily housed in a restricted space adjacent to the construction site. Honourable people of Laghe, thank you very much for your patience. I must say the parents, thank you very much for your patience. I know your support is there. I know likewise the teachers will look forward to that completion of this project but we want you all to be more involved even after the school is completed. Our involvement is critical to assist the teachers in the development of our students. That's important. So having a new school is one thing but you must give the principal and the teachers the support. The contract for the school's construction has been awarded to Construction and Industrial Equipment Limited whose CEO Reino Kajada is confident of completing on time and within budget. We started off the school and you know the little rains around and the kind of soil that we have here is going to hold us back just a little wee bit but once we get out of it it's going to be all easier and we'll be moving very quickly. Under the Education Quality Improvement Project Equip, two other schools will benefit from the construction of new units to enhance the educational and comfort capacities of these institutions. Students for the construction of these units were recently awarded and signed with Prudy's Construction Services Limited for the construction of the unit at the Gauden at Walcott Memorial Methodist at a cost of $6.5 million E.C. dollars and a construction and industrial equipment limited for the construction of the unit at the Vidbutai Primary School at a cost of $4.5 million E.C. dollars. From the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development, I am Chris Satney reporting.