The Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) is expressing grave concern over what it describes as deplorable and hazardous conditions under which students and teachers in sections of western Jamaica continue to teach and learn, more than eight months after the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
In a statement today, JTA President Mark Malabver acknowledged the enormity of the recovery effort and said the association appreciated the challenges associated with restoring damaged infrastructure following Hurricane Melissa.
However, he said that eight months after the passage of the hurricane, these challenges can no longer serve as a justification for students and teachers being subjected to conditions that are unsafe, undignified, and inimical to effective teaching and learning.
“The passage of time demands a far greater sense of urgency and responsiveness from the relevant authorities,” he said.
He said that last week, a team from the JTA, accompanied by colleagues from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), visited schools across Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, and St James, and what they saw was “deeply troubling”.
“Students and teachers remain confined to cramped tents that are unbearably hot, poorly ventilated, and wholly unfit for meaningful teaching and learning. In a few spaces, mould was observed, posing a potential threat to the health, well-being, and safety of students and staff,” he said.
He said some of the conditions witnessed were appalling and represented an egregious failure to provide safe and suitable learning and working environments for students and teachers.
“Such conditions are entirely inconsistent with what should be considered acceptable standards for teaching and learning,” Malabver said.
He also expressed alarm at the “painfully slow pace” of repairs.
“In many instances, construction activities appear to be progressing at a rate that gives little confidence that these school plants will be ready for the commencement of the new academic year,” he said.
“This concern is further compounded by the fact that Jamaica is now in another hurricane season, yet critical repairs remain incomplete, raising serious questions about the resilience of the education system and its ability to withstand another significant weather event.”
Malabver said the JTA has written to the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth, and Information for a second time, highlighting these serious concerns and demanding that urgent and decisive measures be implemented.
“The association maintains that no child should be expected to learn, nor any teacher expected to work, in conditions that compromise health, dignity, safety, and educational outcomes. Eight months after the passage of Hurricane Melissa, it is unacceptable that members of the school community continue to bear the burden of delayed recovery efforts,” he said.
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