Big Turnout For In-Person Classes At Ocho Rios Primary

Approximately 94 per cent of students turned out for classes at Ocho Rios Primary School in St. Ann on Monday (March 7), on the first day of the full resumption of in-person learning

Principal of the school, Suzette Barnes Wilson, told JIS News that she was pleased with the strong attendance.

“Of our population of over 1,300 students only 78 [were absent],” she said.

“Our guidance department is [reaching out to the students]. Many of our parents work in the tourism sector, and since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic some of them would have left and gone back to their original places [of abode],” she said.

Mrs. Barnes Wilson commended the school administration, teachers, and parents, noting that their input has been invaluable in getting the institution ready for a successful resumption of classes.

“This is the largest primary school in the region. The transition from online to face-to-face has been a smooth one for us because of our stakeholders and their level of involvement,” she noted.

“What the teachers will do is to take days to work with those who did not have the connectivity to go online…they will have extra classes. We know there has been a learning loss, but we are putting strategies in place to address that,” she told JIS News.

Over at Marcus Garvey Technical High School, Vice Principal, Joan Higgins, said it was a joy to watch the level of camaraderie among students and “how happy they are” to once again be interacting with their peers.

“Things have been going fairly well, as both students and teachers are happy to be back doing face-to-face classes,” she said.

“We have been preparing for this day. We have our protocols in place… our handwashing stations, etc.,” she pointed out.

“We have invested a lot in this institution, and we are moving forward. We are expecting great things as we move from strength to strength,” she added.

Marcus Garvey Technical student, Daniel Heath, told JIS News that “it’s such a joy” to back in the physical classroom.

“As the second Vice President for the Student Council body, I had been out of school doing online courses for nearly two years. When I was online, it was a little more difficult keeping focused as opposed to being back doing face-to-face where there are less distractions,” she said.

The school’s Head Girl, Victoria White, said that with the upcoming external exams, it is even more important that face-to-face classes have resumed.

“My expectations are for success for every student here at Marcus Garvey Technical. As head girl, I know I have an extra responsibility to ensure that we do our part as students,” she said.