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Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 22, 2022 (SKNIS):  Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Infrastructure, the Honourable Shawn Richards, is extremely disheartened by the malicious fire set to the Joshua Obadiah Williams Primary School in Molineux on Friday, March 18 and called for swift justice.

“I think it is very disheartening what we are seeing here at the Joshua Obadiah Williams Primary School,” said Minister Richards, during a tour of the school on Tuesday, 22nd  March, 2022. “I take this opportunity to appeal to the public that if in any way, members of the public can assist the police in bringing whoever responsible for this fire to justice, that that be done as swiftly as possible.”

Deputy Prime Minister Richards noted that the culprit(s) behind the malicious activities have significantly interrupted learning for the Federation’s future leaders.

“Whoever did this has done a disservice not just to the children, teachers or to the parents but the perpetrators have done an injustice to the entire Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. They have set back the future leaders of this country in so many different ways. You have disturbed the education system in that they now have to move to a makeshift facility which wasn’t designed for education,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

“The textbooks have been destroyed and I am sure that there is also that psychological effect on both the parents, students and teachers because education is basically about preparing persons for something different, making them better. It is about the total development of the individual, the total development of the Federation and this, in no way, can contribute to such,” he added.

Currently, students and teachers are temporarily housed at the Explorers Youth Clubs Headquarters for classes. They reported for orientation and psychological support on Monday, March 21, and instruction resumed today, March 22, 2022.  

Deputy Prime Minister Richards was accompanied on the tour by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Daryl Lloyd and George Gilbert, Director of the Public Works Department. After visiting the damaged school, Minister Richards then journeyed to the Explorers Youth Club Headquarters in Phillips to interact with the students and teachers.