Portland schools battle on to get new year going
Published:Tuesday | September 6, 2022 | 12:09 AMGareth Davis Sr/Gleaner Writer
The 2022-2023 academic year got off to a good start for most schools in Portland, although some were still reeling from challenges caused by termite and bat infestation, which has resulted in significant damage to furniture.
Titchfield High, which is renowned for its strong performance in the sciences both at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Education (CAPE) levels, is one such affected school.
Principal Richard Thompson told The Gleaner that 16 temporary classrooms built to accommodate students in grades seven and eight are infested with termites. The structures, made of plyboard, were erected to allow for the school to transition to a single-shift system.
Thompson noted that although the school has repeatedly received assistance from the Ministry of Education over the years, due to the age of the school, they have to treat the classrooms frequently to rid them of termites, a cost which he said is prohibitive.
“The Ministry of Education has really assisted us greatly, but the reality is that the demand for furniture in schools islandwide is very high. I am in talks with the ministry and I am confident that we will get additional assistance in short order, but in the meantime, we are doing what we can,” Thompson told The Gleaner.
“It was a rather smooth start for us as it relates to the reopening of school. We had our [grades] seven to 11 coming in today. All students were present with the exception of our sixth-formers,” he added.
According to Thompson, the students who will matriculate from fifth form to grade 12 are awaiting CSEC results, while those heading to upper sixth form are awaiting their first set of CAPE grades.
Meantime, Nonsuch Primary, which has also had its desks, cupboards, and blackboards ravaged by termites, is in need of additional space. Its 49 students now on roll are being housed at a church facility in an area separated by partitions.
Schools such as Norwich Primary, Boundbrook Primary, Buff Bay Primary, Port Antonio Primary, Port Antonio High, Buff Bay High, and Happy Grove High seemed to have had a smooth start to the new school year.