Principal of the Hope SDA Basic School in Kingston, Magdalene Reid, accepting teaching material from the United Way of Jamaica Project Evaluation Committee Chairman, Carlton Stephens, while students Davica Barnes and Dellneil Pinnock look on. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)

THE Early Childhood Commission (ECC) on Wednesday handed over $13 million worth of teaching material to 60 basic schools that were damaged during the passage of Hurricane Dean last August.

The items donated included televisions, DVD players, 400-pack jumbo crayons, building blocks, phonic charts and four-piece puzzles.

Under its Hurricane Dean Response Project, funding for Wednesday's donation was obtained from the Canadian International Development Agency, United Way of Jamaica, and the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica.
According to Merris Murray, the ECC's executive director, approximately 247 basic schools had reported damage up until Wednesday.

"As a result of the damage sustained, many of the affected institutions have been forced to curtail or suspend activities, which has led, unfortunately, to the displacement of many children," she said.

Speaking at the handing-over ceremony at the Mona Visitors' Lodge in St Andrew, Canadian High Commissioner Denis Kingsley, said the donation was a sound investment. He said the Canadian government donated $6.4 million to the effort.
"Many people who have difficulty in school might have achieved more if they had been exposed to high quality early childhood education," he said. "Children who participate in good quality programmes during their early years are better able to interact with other children their own age. They also gain better classroom skills, a much larger vocabulary and better language skills."

Among the schools that received teaching material Thursday were the Hope Seventh-Day Adventist Basic School in Kingston, Manchester-based New Hall Basic School, Peat Hill Basic School in Lawrence Tavern, Hope Temple Basic School and Bob Crescent Basic School in St Catherine.
Janet Henry, Principal of New Hall Basic School, said she could only imagine the look of surprise on the children's faces when they see the new materials this coming September.

"Enrolment is going to increase," she added. "Attendance will increase. We have lost some of our children because of the hurricane and we did not really have the things that could stimulate learning, and they started getting frustrated and the parents were becoming impatient. But thank God, He sent help," she said on Wednesday.

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