Maintenance work carried out on five schools over the summer holidays is on schedule to be completed by the start of the new term on Monday.

Minister of Works and Engineering Alex Scott said works at East End Primary, Harrington Sound Primary, Prospect Pre-School, Northlands Primary and West Pembroke Primary had also been completed on budget.

He said, traditionally, this was the time of year when school administrators and parents were apprehensive about the preparedness of the school plant for return to classes. He added: "I am pleased that work is moving along according to schedule. I am always happy when this proves to be the case."

The Minister said the maintenance works being carried out on the schools cost between $20,000 for internal painting and minor repairs at the Cadet School, formerly the Devon Lane School, to approximately $400,000 to replace the main roof at Prospect Pre-School.

Mr. Scott said that that contract also included the installation of a suspended ceiling, electrical upgrade, pre-painting maintenance, internal and external painting and general cleaning of the premises.

But he said minor works and general maintenance work had also been carried out for the Department of Education in the remaining schools throughout the Island.

And he said Government tried to ensure that projects were finished on time and on budget by making the right decisions in the tendering process.

He added: "The Ministry of Works and Engineering's tendering process favours the contractor or contractors who submit what we call 'the most responsive bid'.

"By this, we mean that in addition to identifying the contractor with the most competitive bid, our Purchasing and Tendering Committee is advised by the technical officer to ensure that the successful contractor is capable of meeting the tight time schedule for the opening of the schools."

He said while the process favoured the contractor that had demonstrated consistency and reliability in delivering a good product on time, he said the policy of Government was to ensure that it added a "few new contractors to the roster" of contractors who tendered and were awarded business each year.

A few weeks ago, The Royal Gazette reported how Spice Valley Middle School will also be open on time after undergoing major refurbishment work over a number of years.

Mr. Scott said the school would open for lessons as scheduled next week, although some areas of the building would still be undergoing a re-fit.