TEACHERS AND students in the volatile communities of south St. Andrew are to benefit from a series of counselling sessions that are being organised by the Ministry of Education beginning next Wednesday.The sessions will continue in the next school year.
The schools that are expected to participate in this first series of interventions are Jones Town Primary, Charlie Smith High, and Trench Town High schools.
According to a statement from the Ministry, the interventions will ensure that staff and students in these schools are exposed to a "comprehensive counselling programme that will help them to cope with the emotional and psychological traumatic experiences due to the consistent exposure to violence."
The first in a series of interventions will begin with the entire staff of Jones Town Primary on June 23. Staff members will get an opportunity to vent their feelings and to explore the issues affecting them.
"Expert counsellors will provide support and coping strategies that will help them to manage grief and trauma and other issues that may emit from the sessions," the Ministry said.
In addition, 69 grade four students of Jones Town Primary will participate in a summer intervention residential camp at the Oberlin Conference Centre. The aim, the Ministry said, is to assist students to deal with academic and reading challenges as well as to provide emotional support in a less threatening environment.
The Education Ministry noted that attendance at most of the area schools were severely affected during the April 26-30 flare-up of violence, and that most of the schools were forced to close their doors.
