Little Bay Primary and Infant School gets bus

Little Bay Primary and Infant School in Westmoreland has received a new school bus, thanks to the National Education Trust and the Embassy of Japan in Jamaica.

The 29-seater 2024 Toyota Coaster bus was purchased at a cost of $11 million and was acquired through grant funding under the Grant Assistance for Grass-Roots Human Security Projects of the government of Japan. At the handover ceremony held at the school on Monday, Ambassador of Japan to Jamaica, Yasuhiro Atsumi, said the bus would help to address the transportation challenges faced by the students.

"The students in the community have to rely heavily on bike taxis for transportation, which costs about $300 one way and is not safe enough for children. Under our official development assistance, Japan provides its assistance based on the idea of human security, which emphasises the belief that a human being, irrespective of where and how he or she was born and raised, is entitled to have a healthy, dignified, fulfilling life and should be allowed to develop his or her ability to the maximum extent possible," he said.

"I firmly believe that education plays the most important role in maintaining the human security concept. In this respect, I can say without doubt that Japan remains committed to helping students by supporting their basic human needs, especially in the field of education," Atsumi added.

He informed that, so far, the programme has provided some 15 buses to schools across the island and intends to provide more in the future.

Acting Chief Education Officer, Terry-Ann Thomas Gayle, said the handover of the bus aligns with the education ministry's Transforming Education for National Development (TREND) initiative, which aims to revolutionise Jamaica's educational landscape by improving access, equity, and quality across all levels of education.

"Under the TREND programme, partnerships like these are at the heart of the transformation that we seek," Thomas Gayle said.

"[The bus] will address a critical need by providing reliable transportation, ensuring that our students arrive at school safely and on time. This is crucial for improving attendance and punctuality, which are essential for academic success," she added.

In an interview with JIS News, school principal, Keron King, was overjoyed that the children will no longer require bike taxis to get to school.

"We are extremely appreciative for the partnership with all the organisations involved for ensuring that the school bus was donated. It is a game changer. We will be the first primary and infant school in the parish of Westmoreland to own and operate a school bus," he said.

"It's not just transformation, it will also help to improve the overall academic performance of our children by improving their attendance. It also reduces the cost of transportation for some of our parents," he said.

King pointed out that the new bus will also serve to increase enrolment at the school, adding that pickup points for the new bus will be Little London, followed by Negril then Brighton in the parish.