Long Island, Bahamas – 18^th October, 2015 – Senior Education Officials spent the last four days on Long Island providing psychological support and assessing the damages as well as assessing the repairs to the schools in order to give the all clear for the opening of schools. The Department of Education has been working in tandem with members for the community to ensure that schools are able to resume as soon as possible and to provide the items necessary for the reopening of schools. In anticipation of schools opening this week, Mr. Coleman Andrews, First Assistant Secretary responsible for school facilities, sent a trailer of desks to the island on Tuesday, 13^th October, 2015, to replace those damaged by the storm. Additional items have been ordered and will be dispatched to the islands as soon as they arrive in Nassau.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has been working simultaneously on Long Island, San Salvador, Rum Cay, Crooked Island and Acklins to ensure that schools on all those islands are given equal attention and are able to open as quickly as possible. Each island faces its unique set of challenges and of course, the damages cover a broad spectrum. We are giving priority to all schools on all islands affected and we are appreciative to all those who have come forth to offer assistance. This is indeed a show of national collaboration and requires the cooperation of various ministries/agencies and community members to facilitate the multiple needs required. We wish to thank the leaders of the communities and particularly the schools administrators and their teams who have been working diligently to restore their schools. We will also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to private citizens and NGOs for their willingness to assist us in the rebuilding and restoration of schools on the various islands.

The Ministry of Education has been strategizing and devising action plans from the onset to mobilize the resources needed for the restoration of all schools. Schools are indeed the lifeline of our family island communities and their existence is paramount to the sustaining of these already small communities and therefore the restoration of these schools are critical to the MOEST and also to provide stability and a degree of normalcy to the lives of the students.

The Ministry of Education is pleased to announce that five schools will be operational this week. Both high schools will be opened this week. N.G. M. Major will open on Monday, 19^th October and North Long Island High has been opened since Wednesday, 14^th October, 2015. Additionally, Lower Deadman’s Cay Primary will open on Monday, 19^th October, Simms Primary School will open on Wednesday, 21^st October and Glintons opened on Wednesday, 14^th October, 2015. The students from Morrisville Primary School will be temporarily relocated to Lower Deadman’s Cay Primary and the Mangrove Bush Primary School which sustained severe water damage will have to be accommodated at temporary facilities until repairs to the school are completed.

There has been an overwhelming spirit of resilience by the residents of Long Island as many of them have lost all of their physical belongings. We empathize with all in the Long Island education community who have lost suffered loss, inclusive of, but not limited to their homes, vehicles, clothing and other personal items. In the midst of their personal tragedy, they have exhibited courage and determination and have placed the needs of the students ahead of their own. We thank them for their commitment to the educational needs of their students.

Furthermore, an administrative and technical support team will be deployed to Long Island to facilitate continued restoration efforts and provide support for the education community. We are cognizant that this is a process and will require multiple phases to address the physical as well as psychological needs of those in the education community.