LACOVIA High School in St Elizabeth has received a grant to purchase two school buses for the improvement of the transportation system in the respective school communities.

The grant was approved under the Ministry of Education and Youth Expanded Pilot School Bus Programme and the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project of the Government of Japan. The total value is US$135,014.

Speaking at the grant signing ceremony held at the Ministry of Education and Youth in Kingston Thursday, Minister of Education and Youth Fayval Williams said the grant will help to ease the cost of transportation for the children in the respective communities.

“In addition, transportation, especially in rural Jamaica, continues to be a safety risk for students and staff. I’m sure that the school community here also deeply appreciates this help,” she said.

Ambassador of Japan to Jamaica Masaya Fujiwara said the buses will be purchased from Toyota Jamaica.

He noted that during “pre-COVID times, approximately 30 per cent of students face delay in arriving at school on time, daily”.

“In this regard, the people and the Government of Japan saw the need to provide funding to alleviate the transportation woes being faced by the current student population of over 1,200 students,” Fujiwara said.

Chairwoman of Lacovia High School board Lola Marshall-Williams said the school is grateful for the assistance.