 A new toilet facility for students, a lunch area, as well as a refurbished bathroom and now staff room for teachers, were officially commissioned on Friday 26 November 2021 with a small opening ceremony at the PI Combined School. In 2020, the PI Combined School received a grant for just over US$62,000 from the Government of Japan under the grant assistance for the Grassroots Human Security Project, also known as the GTP. The project was completed earlier this year and seeks to provide a healthier and safer environment for staff and students. His Excellency, Tatsuo Hirayama, Ambassador of Japan to St. Lucia said in January last year the Embassy of Japan signed an agreement to improve the sanitary conditions at the PI Combined School and after one year and ten months, the project has finally been completed. We are very pleased that this project has been completed in time despite the extraordinary circumstances due to the pandemic. We highly commend to those who have been involved in implementing this project and also I'm very happy to see students are so glad to have new facilities. In 1989, the Government of Japan introduced a grant assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project, also known as the GTP, based on the view that the development needs in less developed countries were increasingly diversifying. Acting Chief Education Officer, Cyrus Seepal, stated that the support from friendly governments like Japan continues to support the shortfall of government's ability to meet all the infrastructural demands of educational facilities island-wide. He also mentioned that Japan continues to support the Ministry of Education by supporting academic programs and looks forward to the continued collaboration, especially in the area of mathematics. We have already stated before that no one government can actually meet the needs of every child or every school in St. Lucia and for this reason that's why we partner with our other government agencies throughout the Caribbean and throughout the world, let me say. And then Japan has continued to work with us. We know what they're doing with infrastructure and other departments, but with education more specifically, mathematics is an area of concern. And this is where Japan has been working with us along that realm to ensure that this area is improved and in this area we're going to continue to partner with Japan to see to what extent we can raise the standard of mathematics, what intervention we can put in place. Principal of the PI Combined School, Mrs. Genevieve Shaury, ATM, thanked the government and people of Japan for delivering the new and improved facilities, stating that this will go a long way to support the learning and teaching environment for present and future students and staff. In January when the students came into school, they were welcomed with a new toilet facility. Our students have been so happy to be in this new environment and we are happy that our students can now have a comfortable sanitary environment. And as we know that our environment, the students' environment will impact learning and this happens every day. And so we are so pleased and happy that the government and people of Japan came to our aid. They assisted with such a huge grant and today we can all see the fruits of that labour. The aim of the GGP is to provide financial assistance to non-profit organizations to implement community development projects. The GGP funds infrastructural projects throughout the world and seeks to ensure that the intervention meets and uplifts the needs of those who need it the most. In the communications unit of the Ministry of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, I am Daniel Dubois reporting.