Robert Lalah, Staff Reporter
The old Spanish Town Court House ablaze after the death of Andrew 'Bunman' Hope on February 8. The incident caused schools in the are to close. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THERE ARE only a couple of weeks to go before the CXC (Caribbean Examinations Council) exams for this year begin and students across Jamaica are making last-minute preparations for the potentially life-changing event.
The pressure to do well makes this a stressful time for almost every student. What to study? Will it be as difficult as everyone says? Will I be able to pass?
The pressure teenagers experience during this period is tremendous. So, imagine how difficult it must be for those unfortunate pupils who, in addition to worrying about exams, also have to contend with the complications of living in, or going to school in a war-ravaged community.
Spanish Town, St. Catherine, is one of those communities which has over the past couple of years developed a reputation as a crime hotspot. Warring political factions create turmoil, causing the closure of schools and businesses for days at a time.
As exams approach, the situation in the Old Capital seems to be taking a turn for the worst, with police reporting that 17 persons have been killed there in the last three weeks.
What effect does this have on students?
Tanesha Baker is a fifth form student at the St. Jago High School in Rivoli, which is close to the heart of the town. In two weeks she will sit her first CXC exam.
"The crime really does have an impact on my studies. We have a much shorter time to complete the syllabus. We lost so many days when the town was shut down because of the violence," she said.
CLASSES MISSED
When Andrew 'Bunman' Hope, leader of the One Order Gang - one of the most powerful criminal gangs in Spanish Town - was shot and killed in February, Tanesha says she and many of her friends were unable to get to school.
Bunman was murdered at Young Street, near to Spanish Town High School, another institution that has been affected by the violence.
Administrators there declined to be interviewed by The Gleaner.
"We lost about a week of school during that period. When the other don, Bulbie was killed, we missed about two weeks of classes," she said.
Bulbie (real name Donovan Bennett) was shot and killed by a police squad in Clarendon in November. He was leader of the Clansman Gang which supports the governing People's National Party.
They are longtime rivals of the One Order Gang which backs the opposition Jamaica Labour Party.
Just last week, with the most recent surge of violence in Spanish Town, Tanesha had to stay home for two days. "Somebody was killed at the spot that I take my taxi to get home. Somebody was also killed at the bus terminus so many of my friends had to stay home as well."
St. Jago High School usually grants students preparing for the CXC exams one week off from school during May. This gives pupils an opportunity to concentrate on studying at home or at the library.
This year's batch of students, however, are not so lucky. "Because we missed so many days of school, the study break has been cancelled this year," Tanesha said.
The teenager believes her chances of achieving strong results in the exams have significantly diminished because of the crime situation in Spanish Town. Tanesha, who like so many other promising students in Spanish Town harbour dreams of distinctions and honours, is now forced to accept the possibility of an outcome not so pleasant, through no fault of her own.
Schools under siege
Jonathan Grant High School is located at White Church Street, near to Dela Vega City which was the headquarters of Donovan 'Bulbie' Bennett, former head of the Clansman Gang.
St. Catherine High School is located at St. John's Road, one of the most populous areas in Spanish Town; split along allegiance to both the One Order and Clansman gangs.
