Acting Minister of Education Lyndon Lewis, Takes Immediate Action During School Visits

Sun May 19 2024

Acting Minister of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sport (ECYS), Lyndon Lewis,

continued his familiarization visits to public schools on Friday, addressing pressing

concerns at the Marie Genevieve DeWeever School and Oranje School. These visits

are part of his commitment to visiting all seven public schools in the area.

During his visit to the Marie Genevieve DeWeever School, Minister Lewis, who

himself attended the school as a child, was moved by the dedication and challenges

faced by the staff. One teacher became emotional, expressing her gratitude that

Minister Lewis was the first to truly listen to her concerns. The school struggles with

excessive classroom heat, overgrown perimeter bushes necessitating closed windows,

bathroom issues, and various structural and curriculum-related problems.

At Oranje School, although recent air conditioning installations have alleviated some

issues, a dangerous power load problem persists, causing frequent fuse burnouts and

posing a fire risk. The school also highlighted additional concerns regarding the

shortcomings of the Department of Public Education.

Demonstrating his commitment to immediate action, Minister Lewis has initiated

several solutions to tackle these problems. He has arranged for the installation of air

conditioning units and the upgrade of power capacities at four public schools to

address the heat issue. Furthermore, he has ordered the clearing of overgrown bushes

around the perimeters of the schools, including the Ruby Labega Primary School, to

improve ventilation and safety

Despite being in his position for only two weeks, Minister Lewis, who is also the

Minister of Justice, reassured the management of the schools that he is dedicated to

implementing swift measures to alleviate the challenges faced by teachers and

students. His proactive approach aims to create a more conducive learning

environment for all.

Minister Lewis’s hands-on involvement and prompt responses underscore his

commitment to improving the educational infrastructure and supporting the needs of

both educators and students.

The Minister will be visiting more educational institutions this week then the

departments and divisions that fall under his responsibilities.

639114718427035"