INTRODUCTION
In Budget 2024, Education receives an allocation of $204.1 million ($173.4 million in the recurrent budget and $30.7 million in capital spending) or 12.6 percent of the overall budget of $1.6 billion ($1.045 billion recurrent budget; $570.5 million, capital budget).
MAIN 2024 CAPITAL PROJECTS IN EDUCATION: A SUMMARY
Human Development Service Delivery Project of $27.85 million financed by soft-loan from World Bank (IDA) of $27.7 million and a Local Loan of $150,000. Project duration 2017-2025.
Cumulative expenditure thus far: $14 million.
Budget for 2024: $4.43 million
Four components: (i) Strengthening Pedagogy for Basic and Special Needs Education; (ii) Building Responsive Social Protection Service Delivery Systems; (iii) Strengthening Labour Market Systems and Improving Skills of Poor and Vulnerable Populations; (iv) Project Implementation, Monitoring, and Evaluation
Rehabilitation of Schools, a new project, with an estimated funding cost of $11.75 million financed largely by a soft-loan from the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) of $10.3 million, and a Local Loan of $1.45 million. Duration: 2024 – 2025. Budget for 2024: $2.2 million. This project will conduct extensive repair and rehabilitative work on educational facilities across St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Construction of Brighton Secondary School: A new project with an estimated cost of $16.8 million financed largely by a soft-loan from SFD of $13.39 million, and a Local Loan of $3.43 million. Duration of Project: 2024 – 2026. Budget for 2024: $1.45 million. In 2024, the plan is for the design to be done and for construction to start.
Construction of TVET Centre in Union Island: New Project. Estimated Project Cost: $3.092 million financed by a soft loan of $2.793 million from SDF and a Local Loan of $299,000. Duration 2024 – 2025. The 2024 Budget is: $1.16 million to design and start construction.
Emmanuel High School Upgrade: Estimated Project Cost: $503,955. Expenditure to date: $247.955. Budget for 2024: $256,000 to complete the project. Financed by local funds.
OECS Programme for Educational Advancement and Relevant Learning: Estimated Project Cost: $3.88 million financed mainly by a grant from Global Partnership of Education (GPE) of $3.8 million, and a Local Loan of $80,000. The Budget for 2024 is $849,000. The objective of this project is to expand access and improve student learning in basic education through, among other things, the Programme for Education Advancement and Relevant Learning (PEARL).
TVET Infrastructure Improvement Project: Estimated Project Cost: $600,000 from a Local Loan. Budget for 2024: $600,000. In 2024, the funds are to do some additional work at the North Leeward Technical Institute at Petit Bordel and to refurbish a section of the Canouan Secondary School to deliver technical vocational education.
Computer Replacement for Secondary Schools: Estimated Project Cost: $875,470 financed by a Local Loan. Expenditure thus far: $599,370. Budget for 2024: $276,100. The funds for 2024 are to complete the procurement of desktop and laptop computers for 17 secondary schools.
Re-Development of Mary Hutchinson Primary School, Union Island: Estimated Project Cost: $1.814 million financed by a Local Loan. Expenditure, thus far: $1.156 million. To date temporary classrooms constructed; fence is being installed; and Final Designs and Bills of Quantity for the Construction of the Union Island Secondary School TVET Centre. The funds for 2024 are to: (i) Prepare designs for permanent building and award of contract for construction; (ii) Relocate TVET Centre to UISS; (ii) Project Management.
School Improvement Programme: Estimated Project Cost: $49.93 million. Source of Funding: Soft-loan from Caribbean Development Bank of $36.2 million, CDB Grant of $540,000, and Local Loan of $13.1 million. Expenditure so far: $11.62 million. This project ends in 2026. It is to upgrade, rehabilitate and modernise nine secondary schools: Grammar School, Girls’ High School, Thomas Saunders Secondary School, St. Clair Dacon Secondary School, Sandy Bay Secondary School, Bequia Community High School, Barrouallie Anglican High School, Barrouallie Government School, and Kingstown Anglican School. Substantive work on this project has already been done. The funds allocated for 2024 amount to $11.54 million to continue the rehabilitation work on St. Clair Dacon, GHS, and Bequia Community High School; begin construction on Kingstown Anglican School; and to finalise designs for Thomas Saunders and Sandy Bay Secondary School at Orange Hill, and to finalise construction contracts, and start up physical works.
More money has been sought and obtained from CDB to complete this project in 2026; the scope of the works has been enlarged and increased building costs necessitates an additional CDB loan.
Upgrade of National Public Library and District Libraries
Estimated Project Cost: $2.66 million financed by grant from Taiwan of $1.297 million and Local Loan of $1.363 million. Expenditure thus far: $1.078 million. Budget for 2024: $629,000. Project ends in 2025.
Education for Development Programme: Estimated cost: $793,102 funded by a UNICEF grant. Expenditure thus far: $619,649. Budget for 2024: $130,200. This is mainly in Early Childhood Education.
Technical and Vocational Education and Training Development Project: $35.36 million, financed mainly by the CDB soft-loan of $33.1 million. Expenditure so far: $17 million. Project ongoing. Budget for 2024: $440,000. This year the allocated funds are for design and supervision services, refurbishment of the Kingstown Technical Institute (the Food Lab), purchase of furniture, tools and equipment, and for capacity building in TVET system.
Purchase of Equipment and Equipment – Phase IV: Estimated Project Cost: $11.986 million funded by a local loan ongoing from 2010. Expenditure to date: $9.8 million. Budget for 2024: $1 million. The objective of this project is to equip the educational institutions with the requisite furniture, equipment, and supplies.
Book Loan Scheme – Phase II: Estimated Project Cost since 2006 up to now is $22.1 million. Funded from Local Loans. Expenditure so far: $18.4 million. Budget for 2024: $1 million. A Phase III will be in place after Phase II.
Establishment of Modern Science, Technology, and Innovation Laboratory for Post Secondary/Tertiary Education
The 2024 Budget is $500,000, a grant from Morocco to do the designs for the construction of this facility at Frenches. Funds ae being sought for the construction of the facility.
Purchase of Equipment – SVG Community College: Estimated cost: $629,300 financed by a grant from Morocco. Most of the equipment is for the Division of TVET at SVGCC. This project is for 2024.
Infrastructure Improvement – SVGCC: Estimated Project Cost financed by a grant from Taiwan. The Budget for 2024 is $500,000 to carry out a range of infrastructural improvements at the various divisions of SVGCC.
Capitalisation of Student Loan Company (SLC): A further injection of $500,000 in 2024 into the SLC which grants economically-disadvantaged student loans to university. This programme is a successful initiative of the ULP government. This injection comes from the government’s resources.
NOTE WELL:
Please be reminded that these capital projects are in addition to the recurrent spending in Education on: Policy Planning and Administration ($9.5 million); TVET ($4.5 million); Adult and Continuing Education ($2.5 million); Special Education Services ($2.4 million); Pre-Primary and Primary Education ($59.17 million); Secondary Education ($47.88 million); SVG Community College ($16.5 million); University of the West Indies ($6.5 million); Training, University Scholarships, etc. ($22 million); Libraries and Archives ($2.4 million); Education Quality Assurance and Standards ($1.6 million).