The outcry of staff and students at the Antigua State College (ASC) regarding the deplorable condition of the campus has prompted authorities to begin urgently needed repairs on the premises.
The Ministry of Works invited the media to tour the Golden Grove campus yesterday, where it was apparent that repairs were taking place to the buildings on the southern side of the compound, which include offices, staff rooms and engineering classrooms.
“The action we are taking now is to look at the Business section which is made of wood, and so it was termite infested and we had some structural issues as well and some leaks; so are addressing those issues right now,” Deputy Director of Public Works Wesley James said in describing the first phase of the process.
The floor and roof of the south wing were removed this week and, according to James, partitions are going to be changed and the building will be treated for termites.
These repairs come shortly after promises were made to the administrative and ancillary staff of the tertiary institution, who protested two weeks ago for better working conditions. This phase will be completed within the next two to three weeks, James said.
He added that the second phase of the process will include revamping the ASC.
“The second phase has to do with the administrative wing; they too are experiencing problems…I am told that building has been around for the last 60 years, so obviously it has decayed over time. In addition to that, we are planning to build a gazebo in the center there…so we are planning to upgrade the area holistically,” he said.
Meantime, the ongoing repairs to the college forced classes to be cancelled yesterday, but the Facilities Manager in the Ministry of Education, Oral Evanson, said adjustments will be made pending the completion of the project.
“Some classes for A-Levels will resume [today} and this is contingent on some cleaning being done…Engineering will be relocated temporarily to Five Islands,” Evanson said.