May 12 - GSD Defends Its Education Track Record
The GSD has this afternoon said that it is typical of the GSLP-Liberal Government that it should try and “air brush away” criticisms about the way the Government has prioritised the extension to No 6 Convent Place over very much needed works on some of Gibraltar’s “forgotten schools” with what it calls the “standard and tiresome line” that everything the GSD did in education, as in other areas, was a failure.
A statement from the party continues: “Mr Licudi knows full well that the GSD introduced big increases in teacher numbers, big investment in school facilities, equipment and technology, big increases in university grants, structured advisory service support for teachers, abolished parental contributions for university grants and introduced a wide range of vocational training courses amongst many other things. Mr. Licudi has unfortunately blindly followed the lead of Mr Picardo who makes it a habit of trashing everything that went before his Government as if the electorate had the memories of goldfish.
“Mr Licudi also falls into the same trap as his leader when he exaggerates and spins every point he makes to the extent that many people simply do not believe what Mr Picardo says anymore. Mr Licudi cannot claim the Government "has built two new schools" when anyone can see that the old St Bernard’s hospital site is actually, still very much, a building site, like so many others around Gibraltar.
“This project is also one started by the GSD before the last election, and it is still not complete. It has obviously not been proceeded with, with as much speed and diligence as the luxurious extension to No. 6 Convent Place.
“It is true that the Government has dedicated much time and effort in trying to establish the university and we have supported their efforts, but the same effort has not gone into some of our forgotten schools.
“The GSD has very exciting plans for some of these schools which involve building three new schools at the Rooke area and moving Bishop Fitzgerald. The Technical College, Bayside and either Westside or Bishop Fitzgerald or both (depending on which one is relocated to the Rooke Area) will have new schools.”
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