FRLP construction timelines advance as project team conducts school site visits

GREAT BAY--Contractors and key stakeholders joined the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) for a site visit to Sister Marie Laurence (SML) Primary School in preparation for the school’s full reconstruction under the Fostering Resilient Learning Project (FRLP).

The project aims to rebuild critical education infrastructure and strengthen the overall resilience of Sint Maarten’s schools and education system. The scope of work for SML includes all construction-related activities required to deliver a safe, functional, and future-ready school environment. Representatives from the Catholic School Board and the FRLP project team were present to review the plans and support the upcoming works.

As part of the same mission, the FRLP team, joined by representatives from the World Bank, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS), and the NRPB, also visited the Marie Genevieve de Weever Primary School. That visit focused on assessing how the school’s current School Information System (SIS) might integrate with the Ministry’s future digital data platform. The school’s ICT focal point and psychologist provided insights related to both the SIS and the planned Education Care Center (ECC) Program.

Construction timelines for SML, the Charles Leopold Bell (CLB) School, and the Sint Maarten Library were also reviewed. All three facilities are slated for completion in the first quarter of 2027. Demolition of the existing structures is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2025.

The mission also included a review of all four key components of the FRLP: school and library construction, inclusive education training, national learning assessments, and the implementation of a Ministry Management Information System (MMIS). The MMIS is being designed to improve planning and decision-making across the education sector by creating a centralized and accessible data platform for all ECYS departments.

To support development of the MMIS, software developer Softengi LLC held meetings, both virtual and in person, with ministry staff, school boards, and the government’s ICT department. These sessions are intended to guide the platform’s architecture by clarifying the Ministry’s data collection needs and ensuring the system can support performance monitoring, planning, and student-centered support.

Another major topic of discussion during the mission was the ECC Program, which is set to be implemented at the reconstructed CLB School. The program will provide structured support to students facing significant behavioral challenges and will align with MECYS’ inclusive education strategy. Attention was also given to how the program will integrate into daily school operations.

The mission included a review of the second national learning assessment recently administered by the Ministry. The results will help guide decisions related to teaching strategies, academic interventions, and student support measures.

Despite setbacks earlier in the project that led to the cancellation of a major tender, the World Bank noted steady progress and reaffirmed its support. The FRLP remains on track to meet its objectives before the 2027 completion date.

The Honorable Minister of ECYS, Melissa Gumbs, reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to supporting the rollout of the MMIS and emphasized the importance of initiating visible improvements, particularly demolition and construction works at project sites.

The FRLP is implemented by the NRPB on behalf of the Government of Sint Maarten and funded by the Sint Maarten Trust Fund, which is financed by the Government of the Netherlands and managed by the World Bank.

‍