Census Coming, More for Scholarships & Two Full High Schools for Provo

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, February 17, 2022 – No more Junior High or Senior High schools in Turks and Caicos, as the PNP Administration unveils a plan to make both public high schools in Providenciales, full high schools.

The Louise Garland Thomas High School and Clement Howell High School will both be upgraded to full high schools, offering first to fifth form education. The two schools serve a collective 1,048 students.

It is unclear how soon the upgrade will be done, but when complete, the upgrade will be a welcome relief for parents and students as lengthy commutes to school, should be reduced.  The decision also creates new job openings in the teaching profession.

The announcement was made by Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier E. Jay Saunders during his presentation of the fiscal and strategic policy statement in his ministerial statements on Tuesday February 8, which included spending prioritizations for the 2022-2923 financial year.

So what else will Turks and Caicos’ public purse fund in the next financial year?

So far,  $6 million has been budgeted to be spent over the next three years for e-governance; $3 million for the management of the pandemic and $5.7 million for investments in tourism development, including transitioning the tourist board into a Destination Management Office.

The TCI Police have seen their operating expenses increase by $1.4 million to help with what Saunders described as “intelligence gathering and investigations.”

Other than the upgrading of their high schools, students will also benefit from the $500,000 which has been made available to fund international and local scholarships.

Six hundred and fifty thousand dollars was budgeted to pay for the increase in social aid.

Government is projected to spend $320.8 million this year while total revenue is set to come in at $350 million for works projects.

In line with the Premier’s push to settle legacy issues in the TCI, the Finance, Investment & Trade Minister confirmed that the now due, 2022 Census will be carried out this year.

No date was given for the commencement of the census.