Lack of ‘foresight’ for St Martin’s School, says GSD

The lack of capacity at St Martin’s School is “no surprise”, the GSD said on Monday, as it highlighted the need for better planning.

The GSD’s reaction came after this newspaper reported on Monday that “unprecedented” demand will see St Martin’s School at capacity this academic year.

“The Opposition has, from very early on, been advised that the school would not be able to properly cater for the number of children in need of its facilities,” the GSD said.

The GSD added it had heard “reports of rooms which were not built as classrooms being adapted for that purpose”.

The party said this is “a sure sign of resources already being stretched.”

“Gibraltar needs to think less about electoral cycles and focus more on sophisticated planning and thinking so that tax-payers’ money is used appropriately to properly cater for much needed services,” GSD MP, Damon Bossino said.

“We also need to have a wider debate on what the effect of the growing intake of St Martin’s school children will mean for the future of other services such as at St Bernadette’s, Dr Giraldi, domiciliary care, supported employment etc., when these children reach adulthood.”

The GSD added it “inexplicable” how the government could have had “such a lack of foresight” when building the school.

“These dire and unwelcome state of affairs could have been avoided and certainly ameliorated with proper and more adequate planning,” the GSD said.

“After so many years of having to rely on inadequate add-ons in the form of portacabins to act as class-rooms in the old school, it is incredible that similar capacity issues are already being faced after the investment that has been made in building the new school.”

“This was an opportunity to provide educational resources for a generation and not to go back to the drawing board after such a short period of time.”

“There is a clear political responsibility here.”