By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

FOLLOWING reports of persistent infrastructure issues at Grand Cay All Age School, the Ministry of Education said it is taking steps to address disruptions affecting the water supply and phone service on the island.

The problems were highlighted after a teacher recently raised concerns to The Tribune.

Acting Education Director Dominique McCartney-Russell said the ministry was unaware of the disruptions, but plans to consult with the principal, the deputy director, and the district superintendent to explore solutions.

The school has reportedly been experiencing water supply issues that have impacted its operations, posing health and safety concerns, according to Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) president Belinda Wilson. While power has been restored, the school’s phone lines remain down, hindering communication for teachers and staff.

Mrs McCartney-Russell told The Tribune that she has already engaged the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) to address the phone service issues and plans to implement temporary measures to resolve the water supply problems

“We will get in contact with our partners at BTC to see what can be done to restore the phone lines at the school there, and certainly to deal with the water issue,” she said.

One teacher, who wished to remain anonymous, reported that communication issues have persisted for nearly two weeks, with BTC indicating that the infrastructure on the Cay is outdated and difficult to maintain due to the low population.

Mrs Wilson expressed similar concerns over the conditions at Grand Cay school and stressed the importance of a timely resolution. She noted that she had informed the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education about the water supply issues, who was reportedly unaware of the interruptions.

“We will be monitoring this situation closely to ensure that the issues are resolved in a timely manner,” the BUT president added.