Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter

Left: Chadrick McKenzie.   Right: A workman carries furniture in a new school bulding at the José Marti Technical High School in Spanish Town on Monday. - photos by Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer

Chadrick McKenzie, a grade eight student at the José Marti Technical High School, St. Catherine, and 600 of his schoolmates, are now breathing a sigh of relief as they now have new classrooms. As such, they will be able to attend classes five days of the week for the first time since September.

But unlike Chadrick and his grades eight and nine peers, some 500 of his grade seven counterparts are not as lucky and will remain on a staggered system until November 15, because 10 classrooms which are expected to accommodate them are still not ready.

Cement shortage

The school was set to receive 17 new classrooms with science and reading laboratories. The Education Ministry had promised that nine of the classrooms, which are to provide space for some 360 students were to be ready by the third week of September because the contractors had problems sourcing cement.

However, this promise was not fulfilled and the Education Ministry then assured the school that the additional spaces would have been ready by the end of September.

Only seven of the classrooms and the reading laboratory are ready. The laboratory will be used as a classroom in the interim.

"I feel very good because the staggering system is up and we won't be missing any work and be able to catch up with students in other schools," Chadrick told The Gleaner on Monday.

He noted that staying at home was a pain because there was hardly anything to do, and when he had school work to complete at home, there was no one to consult with.

Mixed feelings

Bevar Moodie, principal of the institution had mixed feelings about the opening of some of the classrooms.

"I am happy for the partial resumption of regular school, but very disappointed that the curriculum of many students have been affected," said Moodie. Phillip Waite, president of the José Marti Parent Teachers Association said parents are very angry about the situation at José Marti. "They want to demonstrate, I have been trying to keep them off," he said.

Up to a year ago, José Marti facilitated grades nine to 11 pupils. The institution, however, currently accepts students from grades seven to 11 because of the demand for school spaces in St. Catherine.

"It is carelessness that has caused this," said a perturbed Mr. Waite, noting that the Ministry of Education should know how many students are in the school system and the spaces it has to work with.

Mr. Moodie said the school community is looking to have make up classes for grade seven students next July.