Above: Antiguan and Chinese officials at a press conference earlier this month (Photo: ABG)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Antiguan government is in discussions with the Chinese government on the construction of the proposed Five Islands Secondary School.

According to Doristeen Etinoff, assistant director of education, several meetings have been held between education officials and members of the Chinese embassy.

The talks have focused on the first phase of the project, which includes the terms of the agreement between the two states.

Once finalized, the Chinese Embassy will seek approval from the government on the terms of the agreement.

If all goes according to plan, construction of the school will be completed by September 2013, according to Education Minister Jacqui Quinn-Leandro.

That would coincide with the government’s plan to implement Universal Secondary Education in the Country.

The construction of the school would be financed by an $11.9 million grant from China.

Antigua is also in talks with the Profiles Antigua, Inc./UWI Consortium on the construction of a Caribbean Development Funded-secondary school.