THE otherwise smooth start to the 2006-7 academic year yesterday was marred by problems at four schools, including the Penwood High School in Kingston where classes were cancelled amid protests by parents over unfit learning conditions.

“Nationally, it didn’t appear that we had any crises,” said a spokesman for the education ministry.

Reports from the ministry’s region five office, which oversees schools in Manchester and St Elizabeth said most schools were ready to accommodate students.

Vilma Blair, the regional director for region one which oversees some 160 schools, reported that three schools experienced noticeable difficulties, in addition to Penwood. They were the Mountain View Primary, Hope Valley Experimental and the Clan Carty Primary schools.

“No road, no school,” read a placard jammed in the middle of a pile of debris, metals and boards mounted by community residents and members of the parent-teachers along Rhoden Crescent leading to the Penwood High School.

Residents were demanding that Rhoden Crescent and the school itself be repaired, or else no classes could be held. They also accused the principal of the institution, Austin Burrell, of wanting to implement a new access route to the school against their wishes.

“Nutten nah gwaan roun ya fi di school nor di road an di principal want to build a road roun a di back and lock off dis fi life. No principal caan come build road way round deh so. What happen to dis? A yassoh a di original road, im waan condemn yassoh… No school today and no school till di road fix, till we get a proper argument,” an irate Penwood resident declared.

Principal Burrell told the Observer that the protest was a symbol of the frustration of parents and teachers.

“They have decided that repairs to the school is their major focus and they have had promises after promises that the school would be repaired and the roads leading to the school would be repaired and it has not been done,” he said.

But Burrell denied accusations that he was advocating for a different access road to the school.

“What we as stakeholders have been exploring is an alternative exit and entrance, it’s alternative, it’s not just to have one, we could never ever do that and this has been communicated to members of the community. We would never abandon Rhoden Crescent as an entrance to the school because most of the students are coming from that side,” he said.

At the school, there were windowless classrooms that were almost devoid of furniture, including proper blackboards. Ceiling beds were rotting and torn, giving an overall image of decay.

Burrell complained that 75 per cent of the classrooms leaked when it rained and 100 per cent were without electricity, and he blamed failure to repair or maintain the school over the years for the decay.

“We are short of furniture, not enough chairs and I have been told by the education ministry not to purchase any chairs because they would be supplying us with chairs. But they have not come through on the promise,” stated Burrell.

PTA President Nathaniel Moodie and first vice-president Michelle Martin suggested the neglect of Penwood was political.

“I believe that because election is near that is why they promised us that by December they would tend to us and no contractor wants to come here because they don’t want to get into the political conflict. If no contractor wants to take it now, it means we are going to have to wait till next year again,” Moodie claimed.

“I think they have taken Penwood off their school map and push it aside. Penwood is in a JLP constituency and it is the only high school in this constituency and nothing has been done,” he added.

Sounding distraught, Andrew Holness, the West Central St Andrew Member of Parliament (Jamaica Labour Party) said he was wondering whether the ministry was really serious.

“This school is the only one in this area and it is in no state to accommodate the students… It’s almost a waste of time coming to school and the facilities are in such a deplorable condition,” Holness told the Observer.

Holness, the Opposition spokesman on education, said he had written to Housing, Transport, Water and Works Minister Robert Pickersgill and his junior minister on three occasions, but had received only promises.

Saying he was not in support of residents blocking roads to prevent school from being held, he conceded: “Anybody would be frustrated if you live in a community and the road looks like a river bed. You would get frustrated.”

At the Charlie Smith High School in Trench Town, things got off to what principal of the institution Dennis Kelly described as a ‘healthy start’ despite the fact that classes were not in session and registration for most grade seven students – which should have taken place from last week – was ongoing when the Observer visited.

Kelly believed that some parents had tried to get their children placed elsewhere over the holidays and had failed and so were forced to return to the school at the last minute. He, however, reported that the full staff complement was in place minus one teacher who had accepted overseas employment.

He expected classes would begin in earnest on Wednesday for the school which has some 500 students on roll.

Denham Town Primary principal, Everton Jones also reported a ‘smooth day’ but noted that four teachers had called in ill, government textbooks had not been received and the school – population 1,100 students – was experiencing “a slight problem with furniture”.

“We have not yet received the government textbooks and we have a slight problem with the furniture that I am hoping the ministry will correct. We have a shortage of seats for students in the upper grades and teachers but I was promised that the ministry would correct this as soon as possible,” Jones said.

At the Calabar High in St Andrew registration was in progress, but the Observer was told that it was not a good day to speak to principal of the institution, Lincoln Thaxter.

The same was true of the St Andrew High School for Girls in Half-Way-Tree where school is expected to be in session fully by Thursday. Principal Sharon Reid was not available for comment.