Top things to know
- FNM Deputy Leader Shanendon Cartwright raised concern about operations at Ragged Island’s school, questioning whether qualified teachers are on the island and whether children receive sufficient face-to-face education.
- The Ragged Island All Age School was damaged during Hurricane Irma in 2017 and closed for over seven years, with students studying virtually.
- In March, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said the school had five enrolled students and featured solar-powered facilities, air-conditioned classrooms and on-site living quarters for faculty.
- Cartwright asked Minister of Education, Science and Technology Chester Cooper for an immediate and comprehensive update on teacher assignments, student attendance and measures to address learning loss.
- Cartwright said Family Islands deserve functioning public services and reliable educational opportunities, not just promises.
Free National Movement (FNM) Deputy Leader Shanendon Cartwright has raised concern about operations at Ragged Island’s school, questioning whether qualified teachers are stationed on the island and whether children are receiving sufficient face-to-face education.
The Ragged Island All Age School was damaged during Hurricane Irma in 2017 and was closed for over seven years, with students completing their studies virtually. In March, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said the school had five enrolled students, and that the campus featured fully solar-powered facilities, air-conditioned classrooms and on-site living quarters for faculty.
Cartwright, however, questioned the school’s operational status. In a statement, he said: “Since Hurricane Irma devastated Ragged Island in 2017, children and families have endured years of uncertainty, interrupted schooling, and reliance on alternative arrangement for education.”
He continued: “In September 2024, the government assured the Bahamian people that the replacement school was nearly completed and that teachers were being deployed. More than two years later, the government must account for those commitments. Why is the school not operational? Why aren’t qualified teachers permanently stationed on the island? Are children receiving consistent face-to-face instruction?”
Cartwright said that although Ragged Island has a small population, quality education must be given adequately to every Bahamian child, especially those from smaller Family Islands. He requested that Minister of Education, Science and Technology Chester Cooper provide an immediate and comprehensive update on the school, inclusive of teacher assignments, student attendance, and the measures put in place to address any learning loss that could have taken place during the years following the school’s closure.
“We cannot speak convincingly about national development while allowing uncertainty to persist over something as fundamental as a functioning school in one of our Family Islands,” Cartwright said. “A school is more than a building. It is a commitment to a community’s survival, its children’s future, and the principle that no Bahamian should be left behind. Our Family Islands deserve more than promises. They deserve functioning public services, reliable educational opportunities, and a government that treats their children with the same urgency and importance as children anywhere else in The Bahamas.”
The concerns have renewed attention on education access for students in the Family Islands. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has not publicly responded to Cartwright’s request for an update, and the current staffing and attendance figures at the school remain unclear from the available information.