Lisia Lynch, Gleaner Writer
FOR THE teachers of Bromley Primary School, in Lewis Store, St. Mary, each day is a struggle against reason to educate the young, tender minds in their charge. The working conditions can inspire terror in the heart of even the most dedicated teacher.
The building is crumbling, and cramped. Its toilets don't work. And rainy days can seem like hell.
The building which houses the school is in a deplorable condition, and appears to be so shaky that it is not certain if it can survive a 15-mile per hour gust of wind, much less another hurricane.
The school is basically one room divided into different classes. On a usual school day it is extremely noisy, as there are 287 students on roll, and teachers have to resort to teaching classes outdoors in order not to inconvenience other classes.
PROMISES OF FURNITURE
"There have been promises made to furnish the school with a more suitable building for over 10 years," said Mrs. McNaught, principal of the institution, her voice filled with deep frustration.
Bromley Primary, which in recent times has been seen as a one-room tenement, according to Mrs. McNaught, is extremely jam-packed. "The only reason why students still choose to come here is because of the quality of education being offered here," stated the principal. She pointed to an increase in enrolment in the present school year of 12 per cent, even though there are other schools nearby which boast better facilities.
The school also lacks furniture, as there are three to four students sharing a desk.
According to the principal, the school has been promised new furniture by the senior education officer in the Ministry, but she lamented that, "It would make no sense pressing the issue, because there is obviously no space for them to go."
Equipment such as computers have also been promised to the school by past students and well-wishers, but the lack of space has hindered possible donations, she said.
"This is quite unfortunate, because we have four computer teachers available," said Mrs. McNaught.
RAINY DAYS ARE THE WORST
The worst days yet, though, are the rainy days.
Those days, according to the principal, staff and students, are extremely chaotic.
"The roof leaks, and the children have to huddle together in the corners, while the classes are rearranged so that no one gets wet. The windows and doors cannot be closed to keep the rain from blowing inside, as there are no windows and doors. It is like hell," said the principal.
The bathroom facilities at the school are in a critical state as well, as students, especially the smaller ones are afraid of using the toilets.
According to the principal, the grades one and two students, because they are accustomed to flush toilets, complain that they are scared to use the toilets at school because they believe that 'duppies' are inside.
According to sources close to the school, there had once been concrete plans to relocate the school, and at one time, the school was "asked to clear a piece of land which they did at a cost of $25,000 to allow for the construction of a new building." But even though the school did its part, the project was never started.
"We just don't know what to do at this point, right now, we're just doing the best we can," the principal said.
