Following the Gibraltar Chronicle’s report yesterday regarding the lack of capacity at St Martin’s school, the GSD has called for a "wider debate on what the effect of the growing intake of St Martin’s school children will mean for the future of other services".

A statement from the GSD follows below:

The Opposition has, from very early on, been advised that the school would not  be able to properly cater for the number of children in need of its facilities. The GSD hears of reports of  rooms which were not built as classrooms being adapted for that purpose – a sure sign of resources  already being stretched.  

It is inexplicable to the GSD how the government, who over the last 11 years has been able to inform  itself of likely needs in this area, could have had such a lack of foresight in building a school which is not  catering for the growing number of pupils attending it.  

These dire and unwelcome state of affairs could have been avoided and certainly ameliorated with proper and more adequate planning. After so many years of having to rely on inadequate add-ons in  the form of portacabins to act as class-rooms in the old school, it is incredible that similar capacity issues  are already being faced after the investment that has been made in building the new school. This was  an opportunity to provide educational resources for a generation and not to go back to the drawing  board after such a short period of time. There is a clear political responsibility here.  

GSD MP, Damon Bossino said “Gibraltar needs to think less about electoral cycles and focus more on  sophisticated planning and thinking so that tax-payers’ money is used appropriately to properly cater  for much needed services. We also need to have a wider debate on what the effect of the growing intake  of St Martin’s school children will mean for the future of other services such as at St Bernadette’s, Dr  Giraldi, domiciliary care, supported employment etc., when these children reach adulthood.”