Schools brace for tough reopening as hurricane recovery continues

 

With the reopening of schools just two weeks away, President of the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA), Mark Malabver, says educators are bracing for difficult conditions as the recovery from Hurricane Melissa continues. 

 

Mr. Malabver says conditions will be far from normal as teachers and students return to the damaged classrooms and disrupted learning environments. 

 

"Many of them will be under tarpaulins, working or teaching under tarpaulins. Many of them will be without the basic amenities that is required for teaching and learning or for proper teaching and learning including water, electricity. It's going to be extremely challenging for many of our teachers to work in those sorts of environments. It has significant consequences in terms of conditions of service. It's going to impact us in a significant way," he lamented.

 

The JTA president said despite the conditions, teachers are still prepared to ensure students are properly educated.

 

"Notwithstanding those challenges, they put their best foot forward. I know that many of them even now have to be carrying water to flush toilets and many of them have to be operating, marking books and papers using lamps. They themselves would have been significantly displaced. But notwithstanding that, they are still turning up to teach," he maintained.