St Helena Government (SHG) has taken the decision to pause the building and refurbishment element of the Primary School Reorganisation Project while further work is undertaken to review the proposed model.
The review will consider increasing concerns about the cost, practicality and deliverability of the proposed refurbished schools. It will also consider the experience of families under the current arrangements, including the concerns raised by parents and staff about school transport.
This is not a pause to the wider work to develop and improve St Helena’s primary schools. Work to strengthen the curriculum, teaching and learning, and safeguarding will continue. The pause applies only to the buildings element of the project, allowing SHG to ensure that the facilities proposed are affordable, practical and capable of being delivered successfully.
SHG recognises that this decision will create uncertainty for the community, particularly for pupils, parents and carers, and school staff. The Primary School Reorganisation Project is, however, a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance the future of primary education on St Helena. Taking additional time now will allow us to learn from the experiences of running the current model and support a decision that meets the island’s long-term educational and practical needs.
As the review will extend the project timetable, the current temporary arrangements will be reviewed.
Minister for Education, Skills and Employment, Andrew Turner, commented:
“We do not get opportunities like this very often. This project must deliver the right model for St Helena’s children, families and staff; not simply for the next five years, but for the next 50 years. That means being absolutely sure that what we build is affordable, practical and capable of serving the island well for generations.
Over recent months we have listened carefully to the views of parents, staff and the wider community. We have heard genuine concerns about the practicality of the proposals, the impact of transport arrangements, and whether the project can be delivered in the way originally envisaged. It is right that we take those concerns seriously, and they will inform both the review and the improvements we make while it is under way. Pausing the buildings element is a responsible step to make sure we get this once-in-a-generation opportunity right. Our work to improve the quality of primary education, including curriculum, teaching and safeguarding, will continue.”
The community will be an important part of this review. SHG will shortly set out further opportunities for engagement, with further updates provided as the review progresses.
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