After waiting for its completion for the past two years, students of the new Newtown Primary School have now moved into their new school, Education Minister Petter Saint Jean has announced.
A signing ceremony for the handover certificate and keys of the school was held in the Ministry of Education conference room on Wednesday.
Education Minister Petter Saint Jean said the students moved into the new school in January marking the commencement of the new school term.
“I am happy to inform today that the Newtown Primary School, funded by the Peoples Republic of China, is now complete and as of the second week of January the students of Newtown and surrounding areas actually moved into the new school marking the commencement of the new school term,” he said.
He stated that the project was not significantly affected following the passage of Tropical Storm Erika.
“The contractors were able to put the finishing touches in the last couple of months of 2015,” Saint Jean stated. “Two weeks ago officials of the Ministry of Education along with the project supervisor visited the site of the new school to assess its readiness for the opening. I was advised that all is in place including the procurement of all necessary furniture for the effective functioning of the Newtown Primary School.”
However, he indicated, that work is ongoing on the school grounds while significant progress has been made to level and prepare the yard for sporting activities and to clear the ground of all debris associated with construction.
Saint Jean revealed that the construction of the perimeter fence will continue well into the month of February.
He encouraged the people of Newtown to take ownership of the building and ensure that it serve successive generations.
Saint Jean also thanked the people of Newtown and surrounding areas for their patients for over the past two years, “as they waited to move into the new school.”
Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China to Dominica, Li Jiangning said the new Newtown Primary School is an example of the strong friendship between China and Dominica.
“This is the 11th year of our diplomatic relations and we have come a long way … many achievements have been made in the past 11 years and of course as we enter into the second decade of our relationship, we are looking forward to stronger friendship…,” he stated.
Meantime Principal of the school, Jerry Coipel thanked the government of the Peoples Republic of China for what he describes as a, “wonderful gift.”
“We have been in the building for just about two and a half weeks now and everyone who comes to the building is in surprise,” he noted.
The $6.8-million facility include a large student friendly classrooms, a sickbay, rooms for art and craft and information technology, a library, kitchen to facilitate the school feeding program, comfortable office spaces and staff quarters for school administration and teachers, also an elevator that caters for the needs of the physically challenged students.
The government of Dominica is preparing for the official opening of the new school building later this year.
Very happy for the building. Teachers must now teach
thanks to the people of china for this well needed gift.
now after the gift let see what WE have to do : like return of eagke was saying : yes clean the place from all debris, fence the place, it will provide security to our children and I hope it will avoid all straight dog to go all round the school and S…t all around the place, and last but not least : manage the traffic for drop off and pick up . who was supposed to think and organize this the Chinese ?? I don’t think so. Dominican’s ?? yes !!! what was done : NOTHING as usual.
traffic is block for every single car for every single kids……..!!! time is money !! and it’ looks we have a lot of money to waste.
Those are simple projects that government should be doing with Dominican tax payers money, but the mis-use and mis-spend it for all sort of nonsense so now they have to resort to begging here and there, people i think that you should know that when the government build a school or a road, they are not doing anybody any favor, thats their work, thats what they suppose to do, its not their monies, its the peoples monies.
I’m still waiting for the haters comments, although I’m not sure about the Health and safety issues with regard to moving the children in – while there’s still work going on in the grounds, and debris lying around. I hope the school staff do all within their means to prevent the kids from getting injured when out in the grounds. All the same, the people of Newtown should be thankful for this gift from China and show appreciation by taking care of it.
THANK YOU to the Peoples Republic of China for this magnificent gift, an instrument to shape the hearts and minds of future contributors to our Country’s development.
Massah weh bonda-ma-jack!
Hypocrite, where is the parl representative? Since Skerrit throw John-Dont -Know under the bus you all showing off everything including “Having Lisaaa worshiping El Supremo” in public for doing nothing.. 
. Keep on moving but the time is drawing neigh.
Assertive, NEVER Aggressive!
Yes yes yes. Good job.. I hope now the children of the Thibaud Primary School will be given a better building to be housed in. Mr. Minister, you all broke down the building and even before breaking the building placed them children in a resource centre. I wonder if you every go and see how they coping there or know their difficulties. I hope efforts will be made to give them a proper and safe building.
ABOVE COMMENT ,Here we go again another GOAT HEAD at it again True Blue Haters.
If you can read, the fly, my comment has nothing to do with blue or red. If you have been to the school you would understand. You all too like to make thing political. It’s time these kids are housed properly. Yes I’m happy for the New Town new school. Do your research before you comment on a positive comment. And by the way I’m a true Red lover.
Congratulations are in order….. Good things comes to those who wait…..many thanks to the PRC…..any gift donated to uplift a people is a good thing.
gifts brought black people from africa to the caribbean as slaves guess we still haven’t learnt the lesson.