In a public discussion aired Saturday on Pointe FM’s popular Browne and Browne Show, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has reignited plans to secure a permanent, custom-built headquarters for Antigua and Barbuda’s transformative Second Chance Programme, floating the disused Ottos School property as the leading candidate for the redevelopment project.
Speaking directly to a senior administrator of the education-focused initiative during the broadcast, Browne revisited a previously floated proposal to convert the abandoned school grounds into a dedicated base for the programme, outlining a bold vision to raze the site’s aging, outdated existing structures and construct a modern facility purpose-built to meet the programme’s growing student and operational needs.
“What we are considering is rebuilding the entire site into a facility that is purpose-built specifically for the needs of the Second Chance Programme,” Browne clarified during the on-air conversation, adding that no final decision on the location has been reached, and additional stakeholder discussions will be needed to solidify plans moving forward. “We need to sit down and work through all of the details, but it is clear that this important programme deserves a proper, permanent home,” he noted.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the Second Chance Programme fills a critical gap in Antigua and Barbuda’s education ecosystem, designed specifically to support adult learners and individuals who were unable to complete their secondary education or earn recognized academic credentials during their initial school years. The programme gives these learners a second opportunity to gain qualifications and pursue advanced academic and professional pathways.
Browne highlighted the programme’s proven track record of success, noting that dozens of its graduates have gone on to enroll in and complete full undergraduate degrees at the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus. He called the initiative an invaluable feeder pipeline that has steadily expanded access to higher education for marginalized learners across the country.
During the broadcast conversation, programme leadership disclosed that the initiative currently serves more than 300 mathematics students alone, and that enrollment for the upcoming term will remain open through the end of September. As of the discussion, no details have been released regarding projected construction costs, facility design blueprints, or a potential timeline for breaking ground on the project. Government officials also confirmed that no final binding decision has been made to select the former Ottos School site, with all options remaining on the table as planning moves forward.