Fourteen schools that were damaged by the passage of Hurricane Dean have been granted monetary assistance to offset repair costs.

The 14 schools across the island received cheques totalling $15 million from the National Commercial Bank (NCB) Foundation last Friday.

The funds, officially handed over during a ceremony at the NCB Wellness and Recreational Centre on Phoenix Avenue in St. Andrew, will cover a range of repairs to the schools, which were significantly damaged by the hurricane and the subsequent rains.

Charlene Ashley, director of communication at the Ministry of Education, said the $15 million donated by NCB has assisted greatly in repairing some 500 schools that were damaged.

The total cost to repair these damaged schools was estimated at $700 million, Mrs. Ashley said.

"The ministry is aimed at ensuring that the teaching and learning environment is conducive to learning and this contribution helps us to achieve that," she said.

Focus

The bank's group managing director, Patrick Hylton, said the financial assistance to damaged schools is a part of NCB Foundation's focus on education.

"We are committed to this whole process of nation building. We are committed to the educational sector, in particular, whether it is on an infrastructure basis, as we have demonstrated today," he said.

The bulk of the funding was issued to schools on the south coast, as schools in that region were the most severely affected by the hurricane.

The schools being assisted are Munro College, Hampton School, Bethlehem Moravian College, Black River High, Manchester High, May Day High, Holmwood Technical, Pindar's All-Age School, Alpha Academy, Winston Jones High, Lewisville High, Mustard Seed Communities, St. George's College and Bishop Gibson High.