NASSAU, The Bahamas – The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) advises that due to the displacement of residents of Abaco and Grand Bahama, students aged 4-19 may register for placement in public schools beginning Thursday, 12^th September and continuing until Friday, 11^th October, 2019 between the hours of 9am – 5pm at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

Registration will take place on a scheduled basis, beginning with children residing in the Kendal G.L. Isaacs Gymnasium, it was confirmed by officials at a NEMA press briefing on Wednesday, September 11.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Lorraine Symonette-Ambrister further clarified via a telephone interview that, “We will not deny ANY child enrolment in government schools.”

Persons not residing in shelters should contact the Ministry of Education at 502-3779 and 502-8319 to allow for an organized scheduling of the registration process.

Students registered in private Anglican and Catholic schools in the islands affected by this storm, may now register with the Anglican Central Education Authority and the Catholic Board of Education respectively, to be registered for this fall semester, at no additional cost.

Counselling for children affected by this storm began with the commencement of the school year on Monday, 10^th September 2019, said Director of Education Marcellus Taylor at the NEMA press briefing.

He added that Guidance Counsellors staffed through the Ministry of Education serve as the first line of intervention for incoming students. Also note that counselling services will be provided for teachers and staff affected by the Storm. Counselling services are now available on an ongoing basis for students, teachers, and staff alike.

--- Kenneth Wallace-Whitfield contributed to this article.

For more information contact: Lindsay Thompson, Public Information Officer

Email: lindsaythompson@bahamas.gov.bs or NEMA@bahamas.gov.bs or nemabahamas242@gmail.com

Contacts: 242-322-6081/5 or 242-361-5569 or 242-376-2042

ABOUT NEMA:

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is a Bahamas Government agency, which operates under the authority of The Cabinet Office.

Vision: An organization that anticipates the potential negative impacts of disasters and emergency situations and develops effective and efficient plans, procedures and systems to minimize such impacts, by relying on sound principles of disaster management, community participation and inter-agency collaboration.

Mission: To reduce the loss of life and property within the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, by ensuring that adequate preparedness and mitigation measures, and response and recovery mechanisms are established to counteract the impact of natural, man- made and technological hazards.