LONG ISLAND, Bahamas — Long Island residents including teachers and students of Mangrove Bush Pre and Primary School celebrated the opening of a new pre-school and classroom block on the weekend.
In attendance at the special ceremony to officially open the pre-school and additional classrooms was Prime Minister the Rt Hon Hubert A Ingraham.
Also in attendance were the Hon Lawrence Cartwright, MP and Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources; the Hon Neko Grant Minister of Public Works and Transport; the Hon Desmond Bannister Minister of Education and the Hon Loretta Butler-Turner Minister of State for Social Development.
Senior government officials included permanent secretary Colin Higgs; director John Canton and chief architect Livingstone Forbes; and local government representatives and other community leaders were also among the guests.
Students expressed appreciation for the new buildings in music and tributes. A Long Island band known as The Originals provided music for the event.
Prime Minister Ingraham said that Long Island has been a wonderful provider in skills and business acumen.
He also praised the residents for producing excellent teachers resulting in some of the best pupils in The Bahamas.
Minister Cartwright told the students and teachers that they have sacrificed much in the congested classrooms they previously occupied.
The Minister said he was happy that the project was accomplished during his time as the Member of Parliament for Long Island.
He entreated the students to take special care of the new facilities.
Reiterating the words of students participating in the ceremony, Minister Desmond Bannister said the teachers would no longer have cramped, confined, restricted space.
Minister Grant noted that the project was the result of an expressed need by the Ministry of Education to construct additional classrooms at public schools that were identified as “inadequate” in size and/or amenities for their student populations.
“I am certain the expanded campus will facilitate the further growth and development of our young students here at Mangrove Bush,” Minister Grant said.
“We celebrate another accomplishment in our program of public infrastructure improvement throughout the islands of The Bahamas.”
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport is happy to have played a role in the execution and successful completion of the project, he added.
G and L Construction Company was the contractor. Construction works commenced in August 2011 at a cost of $357,500.
Minister Loretta Butler-Turner cut the ribbon signalling the pre-school’s official opening.
By: Kathryn Campbell
Bahamas Information Services
