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Midland Prep in Clarendon plagued by thieves

Published:Tuesday | February 9, 2021 | 12:19 AMOlivia Brown/Gleaner Writer
The Midland Preparatory School in Mineral Heights, Clarendon.
The Midland Preparatory School in Mineral Heights, Clarendon.

Tiresome and frustrating is how principal Donna Hall describes the latest invasion by thieves at the Midland Preparatory School in Mineral Heights, Clarendon, last Wednesday.

According to Hall, the 50-year-old institution has been a regular target of thieves over the years. She told The Gleaner that efforts to ramp up security measures at the school have proven futile, stating that the thieves also stole the newly bought security equipment in 2019.

“When I heard (of Wednesday’s break-in) I said I can’t believe it, not again. It’s like a nightmare that this is happening again. This has been going on for several years . It’s very frustrating and tiresome,” lamented the principal.

She said three computers, two radios, a microwave oven, blender, and garbage bags were among the stolen items. The culprits also invaded the school’s sickbay and stole towels and sheets.

Reports are that thieves forced their entry inside the school by digging down the walls and removing grilles.

With distance learning now mandated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Hall said the theft is a major blow to the teaching and learning process. “It’s a great loss, because the computers we had were not even enough. This is going to impact the children greatly, because some teachers’ laptops are down. Some have crashed and we had to help to replace them, so our teachers use these computers, too.”

Midland Preparatory currently alternates between face-to face and online classes. The principal said, however, that some students only do virtual learning, citing underlying health conditions.

“We have some students who are ill. They have underlying illnesses and they will be greatly impacted. Our teachers also use the computers for face-to-face classes for interaction,” she said.

Hall revealed that the school is also considering counselling for students, stating that some were traumatised by last Thursday morning’s findings, which led to the suspension of classes.

She said the incident will further burden the school’s budget, adding that external support has not been forthcoming.

“As a prep school we don’t get sponsors, and it’s very disheartening, because we would want some help for even basic items, like desks or chairs,” Hall said.

She added that establishments have denied the school assistance, citing the school’s preparatory status.

“They have the tools and they have the support, but they can’t help us, because we are a prep school. We hope that entities will get this thing out of their heads where prep schools are concerned; we do also need help. It’s not that it’s rich people’s children come to prep school, it’s parents who are really trying,” she asserted

Aubry Colyard, chairman of the school’s board, described the incident as disturbing.

“Since the pandemic hit us last year March, it has been a real struggle because our only source on income is our school fees,” he said, citing financial woes.

The chairman noted that the school had to seek the intervention of affiliate churches to solicit funds for teachers’ salaries in December.

Meanwhile, the principal is appealing to commercial, non-profit organisations and past students to assist in replacing the stolen items.

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