As students of Obistan Kindergarten Preparatory School say goodbye to the end of another term, they can also echo the same sentiments to their hot classrooms, and breathe a sigh of relief at having cooler surroundings for the new year.

Yesterday, the school received a donation of wall fans and white boards from the Spanish-Jamaican Foundation. Spanish Ambassador Jesús Silva spoke of the importance of education in nation building before handing over the items to the Reverend Dr Alston Henry, chairman of the school board and pastor of the Church of the Open Bible, 12 Washington Boulevard, St Andrew.

"Education is a number one priority of the foundation," declared the Spanish ambassador, who will leave for his homeland for a holiday break on Friday.

Foundation lauded

The ambassador expressed delight that the foundation was able to aid the school, and praised the staff for efforts to improve facilities at the institution.

Henry thanked the foundation for the donation and pledged to ensure that they benefit the student population.

Carmen Hart, acting principal of Obistan Kindergarten Prep, said the new resources would go a far way in enhancing the classrooms, as the teachers and students have been complaining for a long time about the heat.

"The classrooms are extremely hot," she said, adding that some of the fans might be installed in the library.

In addition, Hart noted that there were mounting concerns about the dust from the chalk used on the blackboard, as it was a nuisance to those with allergies.

"There are some teachers who are affected by the chalk. The dustless chalk is expensive, and because people have these allergies, I think that was one of the reasons why it was recommended that we put in white boards," she told The Gleaner.