Ministry of Education to rein in absenteeism
Published:Tuesday | February 22, 2022 | 12:06 AMRasbert Turner/Gleaner Writer
As normality returns with the retreat of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, Education Minister Fayval Williams has said that all must be done to encourage attendance as more schools engage in face-to-face classes.
Full in-person engagement will take effect after the midterm holidays, Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced almost two weeks ago.
That reversal of the shuttering of school doors since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 is expected to help close the yawning learning gap that has emerged since the reliance on online education.
Remote learning handicapped thousands of children in hilly, deep-rural neighbourhoods as well as those whose parents could not afford computers.
Williams said that the Ministry of Education would be aiming to rein in absenteeism.
“We will be sending people to your homes to get reasons why the student isn’t at school,” Williams said during a handover of 12 laptops to sixth-form students at Jose Marti Technical High School earlier this month.
The minister said that teachers went beyond the call of duty at the advent of the pandemic and emphasised that there must be a concerted effort to get the students up to par.
“It is for these reasons why the ministry appreciates the kindness of Tropical Sun for this donation of laptops as there are the haves and have-nots in the educational system, so it complements the One Tablet Per Student campaign,” Williams said.
BENEFICIARY
Jose Marti was one of two beneficiaries of the company.
White Marl Primary School also got 12 computers, which brings to 24 the number of students to have benefited.
One recipient, Aliea Pollock, said that she was overwhelmed by Tropical Sun’s benevolence.
“I really find it a privilege in these hard times that a private entity can be contributing to education,” Pollock said.
“The times are getting more challenging each day, so whenever assistance is given towards educational pursuits, it must be seen as an investment in Jamaica’s future.”
Tropical Sun, which has a local connection in Central Village, St Catherine, picked the two schools after a review of the demographics of its workers’ children.
Community Brand Ambassador Paul Harrison put the donation in perspective.
“We (Tropical Sun) checked and realised our employees’ children mostly attend these two schools, so an investment of this type speaks volumes to the future of education,” Harrison said.
“If we support and love our children through education, then our contribution would have been well made.”
The computers were bought from a local distributor at a cost of about $1 million, said Harrison.