That the Methodist Agogic Centre – Comprehensive Secondary Education (MAC-CSE) in Ebenezer still can’t use the tent pavilion received following Hurricane Irma (see related story) is disappointing to say the least. After all, a lot of effort was made to bring these in from the Netherlands as provisional classrooms for damaged schools.
Some may even want to interpret the current situation as a sign of ingratitude towards the Dutch relief assistance. However, it’s important to remember that air conditioning units sent along were not compatible with the local power grid.
The latter was no doubt regretted and could perhaps have been avoided with a little more communication and/or research beforehand, but – then again – it did regard emergency aid after a particularly catastrophic natural disaster. Other units were subsequently bought on-island to address the matter, but issues apparently arose with those as well.
One ought to keep in mind that while in Europe the tents might be usable without cooling, that’s simply impossible in the hot local climate. It’s consequently not about comfort, but about the staff’s and students’ health.
Charlotte Brookson Academy (CBA) had similar concerns, which became pressing when it needed to vacate University of St. Martin (USM). Perhaps due to the urgency in this case the problems there were quickly solved and the same must be possible for MAC-CSE.
It reportedly regards an upgrade by GEBE, which is obviously quite busy these days restoring electricity country-wide and repairing streetlights. Nevertheless, Government and its utility company should get together and “do what they have to” so the pavilions can be put to good use sooner rather than later.
