Bahamas News
BAHAMAS: Education Minister in GB to assess readiness of public schools
#Freeport, September 23, 2019 – Bahamas – Minister of Education, the Hon. Jeffrey Lloyd flew into Grand Bahama on Thursday, September 19, 2019 to inspect the condition of public schools, most of which were devastated by Hurricane Dorian.
Initially, government schools were set to re-open on Monday, September 23, 2019, but that can change once all of the assessments have been made.
“We would like to get school started as soon as possible, but we’re very concerned about the safety of our children,” said Minister Lloyd. “We want to ensure that the water system is stable and that electricity is available for the teachers and the students. We also have to ensure that our teachers, administrators and support staff are in the frame of mind to educate our children.
“This has been devastation for everyone involved. Some people have lost everything and they have been debilitated as a result.”
The Minister said that he has had the opportunity to speak with Mrs. Lewis, the Principal at East End Primary school, who confirmed that she has a number of students from her school missing, as well as parents and grandparents still not accounted for.
He added that the students from East End will have to be accommodated in the Freeport area or in Nassau, if necessary.
“But we are here to not just assess the situation, but to be sensitive and to offer our support,” said Minister Lloyd.
Accompanied by the District Superintendent of Education in Grand Bahama, Ivan Butler and Ministry of Education officials from Nassau, Minister Lloyd visited a number of primary, junior and senior schools in Grand Bahama.
The Minister acknowledged that from his tour, the Hugh Campbell Primary school was (at that point) the worse he had seen. The school was flooded with at least nine feet of water, with windows and doors blown out. Upon the Minister’s visit, workers were still busy cleaning out classrooms, dumping school desks, chairs, and books; pulling up soaked and mildewed carpets and tearing out wet sheet rock and throwing them into piles within the school yard.
“That school is in very, very bad shape,” noted Minister Lloyd. “It is much worse than we had anticipated. So, that is going to cause our budget to have to be adjusted. But some of the schools appear as if they can be opened once proper cleanup has taken place.”
At Jack Hayward High School, Minister Lloyd was given a short tour of some of the damage at the senior school. Although the teachers and staff members had cleaned up much of the debris that had been caused by the storm, evidence of some damage was visible at the entrance of the building, where flooding had taken place.
Minister Lloyd said that once he and his team of Education officials have assessed all of the government schools on the island, a meeting will be held and a decision will be made as to when schools will be opened. He admitted that because of the level of destruction at some of the schools, there is a possibility that those schools would take much longer to reopen.
The Education Minister said that there are some possible locations that have been identified that could be used temporarily for students and teachers until some schools have been repaired.
“Mr. Ivan Butler our District Superintendent is giving us a heads-up on that aspect of things,” said Minister Lloyd. “In the event that we find that the repairs will take longer than we anticipate, he’s looking into places we can use in the interim.
“We may have to do some creative things to get the kids back into school and going again. We all know that from a psychological standpoint that as quickly as we can get kids back to some sense of normalcy, it would help with sense of getting back the lifestyle they’ve become accustomed to.”
Asked how smoothly the process of assimilating students from Abaco into Nassau will run, Minister Lloyd noted that getting the children into Nassau was not a problem. However, trying to register children into various schools proved to be a challenge, although he added, the Ministry has tackled that problem effectively.
“We’ve already registered over 1,200 students and over 250 teachers and administrators; and this weekend we are going to start placing them in respective schools. As a matter of fact, some students have already begun to be placed in respective public schools.
“I do know that we had initially invited the private schools to offer spaces if any was available and many of them did. So, we have students already in the private schools. We’re making progress, but we have to do it right, that’s why it’s taking a little longer.
“We want to make sure that everyone is immunized properly, that they are properly identified and that they have the amenities that they need. And then we have to identify which schools have the space to [accommodate] them.”
All things considered, Minister Lloyd said that he’s looking forward to the schools getting to the point where things are considered normal again. In the meantime, the Minister said while they would like to move quickly to get schools up and running again, they want to do so with a level of sensitivity.
By Andrew Coakley
Release: BIS
BIS Photos/Andrew Coakley
DISCUSSING DAMAGE – Minister of Education, Jeffrey Lloyd (with cap on) speaks Thursday with some of the teachers and maintenance workers at Freeport Primary School about the damage caused to the school as a result of Hurricane Dorian.
WHAT ABOUT WATER ISSUES? – Minister of Education the Hon. Jeffrey Lloyd visited Grand Bahama public schools, September 19, 2019 to assess damage to those structures during Hurricane Dorian. Joining, Minister Lloyd on the tour of GB schools was District Superintendent for Grand Bahama, Ivan Butler, along with Education officials. During his visit to Jack Hayward High School, Minister Lloyd got to speak with Geron Turnquest (left), General Manager of Grand Bahama Utilities, concerning water issues.
HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? – During his assessment tour of Jack Hayward School, Minister of Education, Jeffrey Lloyd sees injured hand of one of the security officers at the school.
NASSAU, Bahamas — More Bahamians are accessing HIV and sexually transmitted infection-related healthcare through National Health Insurance, a trend the NHI Authority says should be viewed positively.
NHIA stressed in an August 6 statement that its 2025 figures measure healthcare utilisation, not newly diagnosed infections. They include beneficiaries screened, treated, monitored or receiving follow-up care, including people diagnosed previously.
“Increased utilisation of these services should be viewed as a positive development,” NHIA said.
The Authority pointed to “greater enrolment and use of NHI, improved access to screening and testing, continued treatment and monitoring of existing conditions, and increased willingness to seek medical care.”
The development comes amid a mixed three-year HIV picture. New diagnoses rose from 130 in 2023 to 156 in 2024, before declining to 142 in 2025.
NHIA said increased utilisation demonstrates that more beneficiaries are accessing needed healthcare and actively managing their health, reinforcing the importance of screening, early diagnosis and continued treatment.
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wines and spirits distributor is proud to announce the launch of Monument Beverage Co., its newest 100% locally produced ready-to-drink alcoholic cocktail.
Monument, “Made to Celebrate”, perfectly encapsulates everything the brand represents. Created and distributed by CWS, Monument is
inspired by culture, crafted with excellence and bursting with innovation.
This unique beverage celebrates island living with three bold flavors, Ginger Lime, Peach Passion and Melon Fizz. All of which can be enjoyed at an ABV of five-point-two percent.
The brand’s creativity really shines through each can’s packaging. Bold colored stripes, cherished native flora and fauna and of course, national monuments can all be found on each can.
The beverage’s two year plus development is a testament to CWS’ dedication to quality and innovation. Countless hours of tastings, reformulations, focus groups and package design reviews all paid off with the creation of Monument.
Karla Wells-Lisgaris, Chief Commercial Officer of Caribbean Wines & Spirits and Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers of Coca-Cola and Dasani products, shared what this authentically Bahamian made product launch means for the company.
“When we were conceptualizing Monument, we wanted to create a product that not only tasted like The Bahamas but would be an ode to the
nation as well. With those two thoughts in mind, I, along with a team of experts, created three incredible flavors we believe really connect with and celebrate the essence of island living,” she said.
“Additionally, being that Monument is the first product to be 100% manufactured by Caribbean Wines & Spirits, we really wanted to ensure that both the flavors and packaging honored our rich heritage. On each of the cans, you can find various monuments such as the Nassau Public Library in New Providence, the Garden of the Grove in Grand Bahama and the Hatchet Bay Silos in Eleuthera; all of which pay homage to our diverse Bahamian heritage.” Wells-Lisgaris concluded.”
The historic monuments found throughout our islands are more than places we pass every day; they are reminders of who we are, where we’ve come from and the stories that connect us as Bahamians.
Monument is perfectly formulated with quality ingredients, and each can celebrates a collection of these cultural icons from across The Bahamas.
Whether chilling solo beachside, gathered around a family table or backyard a grill with friends, make Monument your sip of choice. Monument is made to celebrate, visit www.cwsbahamas.com today for more details.
NASSAU, Bahamas —– Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers of Coca-Cola and Dasani products, is proud to crown Lady
Kayla of Exuma as this year’s annual Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup winner.
CBC created the Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup to further the advancement of sailing and Bahamian culture through monetary and social support. The competition judges the skipper’s performance across three regattas, The Best of the Best, the National Family Island and Long Island Regattas.
The winning sloop led by Kianno Hutchinson and Joss Knowles showcased their skillmanship in the E-Class category across each round of competition. In addition to winning the trophy, the skippers were awarded a $5,000 donation, an $8,000 stipend to the junior sailing club of their island and a limited-edition Lady Kayla Bahamas Goombay Punch commemorative can, which will be released soon.
Jonathan Thronebury, Marketing Director of CBC shared the significance behind The Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup.
“The Bahamas Goombay Punch is more than a beloved local brand; it’s a vibrant part of our cultural fabric. Just like sailing, our national sport, it carries a rich legacy that spans generations. Recognizing this shared history, we’re proud to support initiatives that celebrate and advance Bahamian culture,” he said.
Hutchinson and Knowles shared what this win meant for them.
“I felt super proud when I realized we won. I am grateful and thankful to God, for good coaches and Joss. It was really an honor winning the
Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup,” Hutchinson expressed.
“I am very honored to have been able to compete in the Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup, I think it is a great concept and idea for a competition and really adds a new motive throughout the regattas. The whole championship was super competitive, and every single race was a fight. Alvington McKenzie was extremely competitive and had us until the Long Island regatta, which made it a very fun and tough competition. Very excited to have been the winner of a super close championship,” Knowles revealed.
Lady Kayla’s owner, Dallas Knowles, shared the team’s winning strategy.
“In sailing consistency is key and our guys in Lady Kayla are some of the best in the business at staying near the top. In the end, that was enough to secure their first Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup win. We are so proud of Joss and Kianno for what they have done in Lady Kayla. Thank you to Caribbean Bottling Company for such an amazing and forward-thinking initiative,” Knowles shared.
The Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup is proud to continue its impact on sailing and community building through clean and fair competition.
For more updates on the Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup and Caribbean Bottling Company visit the website www.cbcbahamas.com today.
-
News1 week agoFacts According to the Turks & Caicos Premier About His Constitutional Amendments
-
News1 week ago80 DAYS. $80 MILLION. – PDM Demands Answers from Government
-
News1 week ago“The Contract is The Problem, Not The Hospitals”
-
News1 week ago
Premier Lays Out Cost of Hospital Dispute
-
News7 days agoPAY FIRST. QUESTION LATER.
-
Education1 week agoDr. Candice Williams Appointed First Vice-President of Regional Higher Education Association
-
Health3 days ago47,459 MEASLES CASES, 44 DEATHS ACROSS AMERICAS
-
News3 days agoELECTRICITY BILL SHOCKER: PELICAN ENERGY WARNED GOV’T