MP demands consultation as gov’t moves to relocate Union Island students

MP for the Southern Grenadines Terrance Ollivierre on Thursday maintained that residents of Union Island be consulted amidst the government’s proposal to relocate the school population to St. Vincent while their campuses are repaired following the passage of Hurricane Beryl.

“… I for one, have seen when homes are divided and the sort of problems that it causes. One parent, going with a child, another [parent] another way with children and we need to really sit down and come up with a solution that is best fitting,” Ollivierre told Parliament on Thursday.

On Monday, the Office of the Prime Minister announced that Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves will hold consultations with people from Union Island who were impacted by the passage of Hurricane Beryl.

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A consultation will be held on Wednesday at the Methodist Church Hall in Kingstown from 3 p.m. with residents of Union Island who relocated to emergency shelters and private homes in St. Vincent.

Then, on Thursday at 1 p.m., the prime minister will hold a consultation in Clifton, Union Island. 

“The consultations will address issues including the government’s response to the disaster, relief, recovery, reconstruction and the scheduled reopening of schools in September,” the office of the prime minister said.

Beryl, a category 4 hurricane, damaged or destroyed 95% of buildings in the Southern Grenadines, according to government estimates.

The two primary schools and the secondary schools on Union Island suffered various levels of damage.

Within a week of the hurricane, Gonsalves began floating the idea of bringing the students, one parent of each student and educators from Union Island to St. Vincent so that their education would continue uninterrupted in September.

The government is proposing to house the students, parents and educators in guest houses.

Presenting the EC$136 million supplementary budget in Parliament on Thursday, Minister of Finance, Camillo Gonsalves announced that EC$3 million was allocated to the Ministry of Tourism to pay for guest houses and accommodation.

“… the primary school student is going to come up. Mommy or daddy or mommy and daddy are going to come up with those children, and we have to house them for the duration of the time that they can’t be in Union Island,” the finance minister told Parliament.

“I want to be very clear; it is not possible to rebuild Stephanie Brown or Mary Hutchinson or Union Island Secondary to make it fit for children between now and September.”

Gonsalves said the buildings were being used in the emergency sense to house materials, labour, and equipment because there are not many large buildings on Union Island that can be used in this way.

“So, if we want the children of Union Island to be in school in September, we’re going to have to bring them up to Saint Vincent,” he said, noting that online education is not an option because of the absence of electricity and regular telecommunications services on Union Island.

“And there will be discussions with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Social Development, the Honourable Prime Minister, Ministry of Grenadines Affairs, about how we’re going to do that. But that is the plan in this particular situation,” the finance minister said.

In his contribution to the debate, Ollivierre said he had toured, after the Hurricane, the Mary Hutchinson Primary School, which was being used by police as a shelter as the roof of the police station was destroyed.

He said he also visited the Stephanie Browne Primary School and then the Union Island Secondary School.

The MP said the roof of the wing of the secondary school that houses the staff room, deputy principal’s office and two classrooms was destroyed.

He said the lower floor on that wing, which houses the library, main office, cafeteria, and sick bay, received “very minimal damage,” adding, “I think the only damage was some window in the library.”

Ollivierre said the roof remains intact on the main wing that houses most of the other classrooms.

“You had the ceiling dropped. Most of the classrooms are intact. The washroom facilities are intact. I viewed all of that, … I spoke to teachers, I spoke to educators, most of them feel that the school can be used once the necessary work is done on it. I’m only saying what people have said to me, those who I spoke to,” Ollivierre said.

However, the prime minister interjected, saying that he had seen the secondary school too but the problem is not fixing the windows, roof and electricals.

“The issue is this: where are the students going to live on Union Island? That is the problem. Because you can’t study if you don’t live anywhere. That is the conundrum which we are facing. And that is why we came with the particular solution,” PM Gonsalves said.

He said that the students might be in St. Vincent for just a term but he was not sure.

“I agree, as I had said, we need to talk through it — but we don’t have the homes. That’s the problem.”

Ollivierre responded that this is why he would say that consultation is needed, adding that while some people support the government’s proposal, others are against it.

“We don’t know the amount, but we need to consult with the people because I have heard people say to me that they are not going if it comes to that…

“And we really need to sit and talk to people,” Ollivierre said, adding that he walked the entire island for three days after the storm and heard residents’ suggestions.

“And we really need to go to the people and find a medium as to where we can settle this problem and come up with the right solutions.”

He said there were organisations on the ground in Union Island that wanted to help in terms of securing the schools and making the environment better.

Ollivierre said some people are very much concerned about whatever steps would be taken and want to be a part of deciding what happens to them and their children’s future.

“And it’s very important that we do that,” he said and Gonsalves said, “Absolutely.”

Ollivierre continued:

“… Honourable Prime Minister, concerning the secondary school, we really need to sit down with the stakeholders and make sure they understand what is at stake, and we make the right decision and do the thing and involve them, because when you involve people in the decision making, then they have ownership of what you are trying to do for them.”

Ollivierre said that the government and people can work hard, quickly and smart in getting the problem solved.

“Because really, I will tell you, most of the persons who I spoke to, even at the shelter, everybody has one goal in mind — to get back home.”

He said that the problem for some of them was a place to stay.

“… just like me. I’m going home because I’m going to tough it out, and whatever room I find myself at my house, there’s where I’m going to stay, because I want to make sure I empower the people of the Southern Grenadines to say this too will pass, and a brighter day is coming,” Ollivierre said.