Construction will begin shortly at the site of the former Ursuline Convent in Collymore Rock, St Michael, for the new home of the Graydon Sealy Secondary School.
Work will also soon start at nearby Chelston Park for erection of the Barbados Climate School.
Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley made the announcements yesterday while stressing that Government was moving ahead with its educational transformation agenda.
“The work that will be done at Chelston will start shortly and will be undertaken over the course of the next year. Similarly, the work at the Ursuline Convent, which will see the relocation of the Graydon Sealy School, will also be undertaken shortly later this year, so that we can ensure those children also benefit from improved physical circumstances,” she said.
Major speaker
Mottley was delivering the keynote address during the official opening ceremony of Oceana Innovation Hub on Bay Street, St Michael.
The hub is a sustainablydesigned facility, located on the grounds of the former Coastal Zone Management Unit at Carlisle Bay.
It was a result of a partnership between Government and United States non-profit organisation XQ Institute, in collaboration with design agency Michael P. Murphy Studios.
Asked about the cost of constructing the hub, the Prime Minister said it was a gift to Barbadians from XQ. It will eventually be managed by the Barbados Climate School, which XQ is also developing.
“I know my country and I know many will pass and see here and say, ‘This get build for fancy people from overseas’, but this get build for Bajans,” she said.
“While, ultimately, the governance of this campus will be managed by the Barbados Climate School, it is open to all secondary schools, so they may expand the knowledge of their students and incite the curiosity such that we can continue to be global leaders of this matter of oceans and marine life.
“The Barbados Climate School, which will be built at Chelston, has come about as a result of a partnership with XQ Institute.
“The Barbados Climate School with this Oceana Hub will be able to protect this country, this ocean and land, but will play a significant part in helping the world to be able to help save this planet,” she said.
Minister of Educational Transformation Chad Blackman, Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw, chief executive officer at XQ Institute Russlyn Ali and president of Michael P. Murphy Studios Michael Murphy also addressed the ceremony.
Government first announced it was undertaking a massive education transformation project in 2023, which included plans for Chelston Park and Ursuline Convent. More recently, it stated that Graydon Sealy Secondary (formerly Garrison Secondary), in Paddock Road, Garrison, St Michael, would be shifted.
Blackman said this was their way of rethinking the way students learn and giving them more tools to become global citizens with Bajan roots.
“The old way of schooling has brought us thus far, but it can go no further. The future that our children deserve will not be built by replicating the past. As such, the reimagination of the system itself while keeping what is relevant will be key.”
Climate crisis
He said that at the space,
students will learn about the climate crisis and marine ecosystem, engage in research, develop real solutions, and interact with non-governmental organisations and industry experts.
Archer-Bradshaw said their goal was to ensure more students were climateliterate.
“This isn’t just a building. It’s a generational turning point. It is a promise to our young people, a declaration to the world that Barbados is not waiting on permission to lead.
“Two years ago, this was just a spark, an idea borne out of conversation, a belief that education in Barbados must be more . . . . Today, the ‘what if’ has become the what is,” she said.
Ali said they were proud to be a part of the project.
“This isn’t just a building, it is a manifesto, a declaration that education and sustainability are not separate ambitions but share purpose.
“That learning shouldn’t be interrupted by disaster, but be inspired by it. That we can build schools that don’t just protect students, but prepare them to thrive, to innovate, to lead.
“Here in Barbados, you’ve done what few have dared to do. You’ve merged urgency with imagination, infrastructure with instruction, form with moral function. What we’ve created together is nothing short of revolutionary,” she said.
Murphy said both international and local teams were working on the construction over the past ten months.
“This was some of the fastest and most remarkable construction I’ve ever experienced. The team completed this project in less than one year. From demolition to completion, it was ten months total time, which is an unprecedented achievement,” he said.
He gave the assurance that the chattel house design, the wood and other materials ensured the building was durable and environmentallyfriendly.
Special roofs
Murphy explained that the pyramid-shaped roofs were installed to break up the heavy winds of a hurricane.
“We took inspiration from the brilliant local artists of Barbados and samples from local houses to get this colourful palette. The chattel house is filled with the intelligence and wisdom of this unique place in the world, and we wanted that wisdom for the school and for the island’s future,” he added.
During the opening, there was a dramatic presentation entitled Through The Eyes Of A Child, performed by students from all secondary schools, and Kymani Devonish sang Oceans. At the after-party, Nikita and Edwin Yearwood performed.
(TG)
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