MPs vote in favour of West Bay high school
(CNS): Almost two decades after then education minister Alden McLaughlin proposed building a new high school in West Bay, the parliament has voted to try again to give the district a school. A private member’s motion presented by veteran West Bay MP McKeeva Bush proposed that Cayman Islands Government start the process to build the Beulah Smith High School.
Education Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, speaking on behalf of the CIG, said it was “time for it to be resurrected” and that she would begin the legislative process and the necessary business case to justify the project. She said that Bush had conveyed the necessity of the school in his debate, and the government would look to put the millions of dollars required in the upcoming budget to get things moving.
“I will do all within my power to ensure the requisite statutory requirements are completed,” the minister said, with the goal of having a groundbreaking before she and Bush “exit the political stage”. Both Bush and O’Connor-Connolly have said they plan to retire from parliament at the end of this administration.
Bush stated that the school was much needed, not only to meet the growing district needs but to help improve the CIG’s provision of education and reduce traffic congestion to and from George Town as students will be diverted to their own district school. He said it could also be used as a shelter and a recreational facility.
The CIG has also agreed to consider the proposal to require private schools to introduce their own buses. Sir Alden McLaughlin (RED) said it would get thousands of cars off the road and was one of the easiest of the many solutions to Grand Cayman’s traffic problems currently under discussion that could make an immediate difference.
McLaughlin said he was aware of the potential backlash from the schools, as he had begun talking with the schools about this when he was premier, explaining that they were reluctant because of costs. Nevertheless, he said that the government needed to pursue the issue.
The education minister accepted the motion on behalf of the CIG. But although she said that the government would give the motion consideration, she expected that the schools would still be very reluctant to accept the idea, despite the positive impact it could have.
Joey Hew (GTN) suggested that some private schools could be encouraged to share the public school buses, especially those schools along Walkers Road.
These were two of several private members’ motions that parliament debated Thursday night and into Friday morning that were accepted by the government. Other PMMs included the idea of establishing a task force to investigate what is happening to the gratuities of staff working in tourism and implementing a 13% pay rise for civil servants over the next three years.
The government accepted a motion to provide free healthcare to kids and seniors only after Chris Saunders, who brought the motion, agreed to take out the timelines, as Health Minister Sabrina Turner said it would likely cause the government to fall foul of the Framework for Fiscal Responsibility.
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Category: Education, Local News, Politics
6:51, But it was your people who passed the law years ago that expat kids could not attend public schools in the Cayman Islands. It was the CIG that held up interaction. Thankfully, through football, baseball, and track and field one has interaction between Caymanian youths and expat youth.
Sports is one of things which helps unite our societies.
This is such a fallacy and mockery. His sorry ass been in Parliament for 35+ years and only now he talking about a high school for WB. He should have been making this happen when he was in Vegas gambling.
I agree it is needed, but why has this shameful person only seen it fit now to bring motion now. Wish it was yesterday that you retired.
If the private schools administrators claim they cannot afford buses, perhaps we could explore getting six additional buses. To subsidize the investment at least in part, we could charge private school parents a modest annual fee at the beginning of each school year and issue them with a designated bracelet. For the next ten months, any student wearing the bracelet could take the school bus.
We do not need more schools, we need better educators; people who understand that a child is a miniature human being that goes through grief, uncertainty, fear, abuse, and many other emotions, all of which impact their attitude to learning— indeed, even their interest to learn. For nearly 30 years I have been explaining that hollering at children, reprimanding them, and shaming them in front of their peers is not the way to unlock their thirst to learn and excel. Teachers need to understand psychology, sociology and even aspects of human resources such as what motivates different people. For Pete’s sake! How many of our young people must waste 12 years in a dysfunctional education system before someone gets the message and acts on it?!
No one who is part of the problem can fix the problem. In Cayman by law you must be part of the problem to fix the problem. If you understand this you can see that these problems will never be fixed.
divide et impera in full force.
If there are any Rhodes Scholars out there can they give their opinion on when the seniors will get the free healthcare seeing that they didn’t budget the funds for it. I guess they are hoping that the anticipation will do us in before they can come up with the money? We are seniors but that doesn’t mean that we are stupid.! No free healthcare no vote! There is still enough of us to change the election of the election for everyone of you.
World Class
More millions on top of the millions of rusting foundation in a west Bay from two decades now.
New schools aren’t the answer when kids enter and leave high school illiterate.
Sort out early learning.
Tom Jones you seeing this?
The betting window is now open for the new WB high school. The over under on cost $300M and completion date 2033. This from the same folks that gave you Clifton Huner HS and John Grey HS. đŸ¤¡đŸ¤¡đŸ¤¡
Given past experience it should be ready in 2035. I would put Alden in charge.
Apologies, Sir Alden.
Should make it Whycostaso High, or Weegannaget High.
Whydrivadaspeedlimit High
You can insist all you want that private schools introduce their own buses. Getting them to be used is a whole different matter.
All aboard the Jamrock Express! I think not.
Help with traffic? Ha ha, so all the parents not still coming to work in GT again?
I’ve seen many comments on social media saying traffic is much improved when school kids are on break.
The time different people arrive at work varies a decent amount so your commute only overlaps with a limited number of other people’s commutes. If we get private schools using school buses we could shorten every parent’s commute therefore reducing the number of cars on the road at any given time in the morning (reducing how many journeys overlap).
I’d it’s on social media it must be true.
*if
Hey sparky, maybe you and your social media buddies could go take a look down by ORIA next time school is out. People leave the island during those periods, they call lit “vacation” in some parts.
Logic fail. Most people I know drop kids at school on the way to work. The journey happens regardless of whether the kids are in the car or not. The difference is thousands of people leave island or WFH during school holidays. Not only are the kids not going to school but I’m not going to work either.
Stop talking about it and build it. What takes these people so damn long to do anything?
not letting my kids on a bus here
Certainly not the ones that run the red light by Kirk Market every morning, or the ones that overtake me along South Sound doing 60.
yep. until they can drive like they understand the road laws my children will not be driven by them.
You are part of the problem. FIX IT, don’t boycot it.
It is truly shocking that the schools bus stops on the bypass right in front of the Kimpton on a diagonal blocking both northbound lanes. The driver lets kids off the bus where they proceed to wait on the MEDIAN to cross two lanes of traffic into Raleigh Quay. The drivers are too lazy to get off at the roundabout and drive into Raleigh Quay.
I say thanks Minster Connolly and even if I’m not a supporter or a fan of Mac thanks for this motion. West Bay should’ve had a High School since 1980 when Mr.Garston and Mr. Benson were Ministers, Tara did nothing to get it done in 8 years which says a lot about her. This school is needed and will help with traffic conjestion and improve education in West Bay.
it will only improve education if the parents actually care and work with their children but too many baby mamas and daddies.
Well, what do you expect when children are exposed to the annual bumping and grinding parade that sexualizes women, aka, Batabano?
Where else in the world do you build schools to lower traffic congestion?
Bizarre Islands we live in.
And just like that, there goes another quarter billion dollars.
OK, and Cayman should not invest in their children’s education? Don’t complain that they are undereducated, and can’t get jobs. YOU are the cause of the poor education of the next generation. Work to make it work; don’t simply complain and obstruct.
No. YOU are the cause of the poor education 937 because you equate a bigger education bureacracy budget with smarter children.
Nice new buildings mean little until the culture and education system changes and improves. But alas, the wotes.
Considering what a debacle building the last two were I would keep your expectations low folks
As a student of a local private school in the late 60’s and early 70’s I rode a bus on a daily basis from WB. It was shared by 2 private schools and did cost a few dollars per month. It worked fine and I am not sure why it ceased. Likely due to an increased sense of personal importance.
What makes it weirder is private schools already use the same school buses as public schools, just not to get students to school. They use them to get students to PE (physical education) class.
So why not also use them to get students to school?
-Former private school student (Completed 2021)
I rode a bus all my childhood, until I saved up enough — at age 16 — to buy a car for myself. This seems like the natural order of things to me.
I started wanting things when I was five or six. My parents paid me an hourly wage to do a real job. I didn’t have an ‘allowance’. Didn’t know anyone who did. At 10 years old, I started working for a neighbor at three times the rate ($0.10/hour) as my parents paid.
It was always up to me when I would be able to buy a car. My parents made sure that I also had enough money saved for insurance, registration and $500 for maintenance. Those were good lessons.
Times have changed. If our schoolbusses are not safe, we need to make that change a TOP priority.
I also rode the bus in the mid sixties. It was my first real opportunity to interact with other students from East End, Breakers, Bodden Town, Pedro, Savannah, Lower Valley, and Crew Road. It was great and gave us a much better perspective of a range of students, our similar and our differences.
Problem now is that hundreds, possibly thousands of kids from other countries are here and their parents don’t want this interaction that builds communities and improves societies.
How does that help me after I just bought a new Range Rover just for school drop off?