Dominica: Six China-funded schools expected to be completed by December 2026

Dominica: Construction of six Chinese-funded schools is on the way to completion by the end of the year, Education minister Octavia Alfred stated after touring the job sites.

The six educational institutions are Goodwill Secondary and the Thibaud Primary, Calibishie, Sineku, Tete Morne and Bellevue Chopin Primary Schools. The projects are funded by a US$30 million (EC$81 million) grant from the People’s Republic of China.

Alfred declared that the tour was an exercise in quarterly progress evaluation ahead of handover. “We are glad that all schools are on track as it pertains to the timeline,” she announced, adding that flooring and painting had been completed while works on finishing touches are in full swing.

She further observed that the rainy season has not delayed the progress of the projects.

School furniture is expected to arrive in Dominica by November. Alfred expressed optimism that the items would reach the country in due time, and that she was assured that the school would be opened by year-end.

She also noted the extent of local content in the execution of the project, as Dominicans are employed at all six sites while equipment and materials were procured locally.

Alfred added that the projects had already made significant contributions to the local economy, in terms of giving young people the opportunity to be independent and to make a living.

The two governments formalised the funding of the six schools through letters of exchange in December 2021.

Some of the institutions were severely damaged during Hurricane Maria in September 2017, and the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation is currently engaged in their reconstruction.

The projects have faced challenges, however, including at the time of the official groundbreaking ceremony, when China’s then-ambassador to Dominica noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had caused delays.

The new Goodwill Secondary School will be a centre of excellence in technical and vocational education and training.

Meanwhile, the projects hold political importance, as Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has already referred to the funding as a gift of extraordinary generosity, while stating that China has shown solidarity in areas such as sports, roads, agriculture and health services.

Alfred thanked China for its twenty years of friendship declaring that a nation that invests in education is investing in its human resources.

“We are happy for the 20 years and counting friendship,” she noted.

“Our most important resource is our human resource and we are happy for this contribution and we're happy for this friendship,” she added.

“We are glad for the way in which the work is progressing and we just look forward to receiving our schools and for our children to go back to their normal setting,” she concluded noting that they look forward to seeing the children go back to their normal setting.