Principal of the Lucky Hill Basic School in Glengoffe, St Catherine, Sandra Walters is pleading for assistance to improve the school’s physical condition so that the children can have a better learning environment for the coming school year.

Walters said that the school is greatly in need of help as certain essential items that are needed are badly lacking.

“The floor needs to be tiled and I need a water tank. I need a stove so that the children can have breakfast and lunch. Cupboards and other furniture for the kitchen, and desks and chairs for the children are also desperately needed,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

Walters said that everything might not be accomplished by September, but there are more immediate items such as a water tank which must be prioritised. She said that water is available, but due to the school’s location on top of a hill, when the water pressure is low, it is difficult for the children and staff to access the commodity. Therefore, she has to resort to carrying buckets of water to the compound so that students may be able to wash their hands and for other sanitary purposes.

Currently only 15 students are enrolled for the upcoming school term. But it is Walters’ desire to increase the number of students at the basic school, as it is only one of two schools now serving the communities of Lucky Hill and Belgar.

She stated that due to the lack of resources at the school, some parents have also opted to send their children to other schools, but she is also hoping to change this so that the children of the community can have somewhere that is more secure and close to home. She said that the school could also accommodate up to 40 students if furniture and other items were available.

The school had previously got help last Labour Day, May 23, from the St Catherine Municipal Corporation. However, as grateful as Walters said she is for the help, more is needed.

She said that people who had earlier pledged their support have not been heard from. She said that at this point she is unable to do anything else, as everything lies completely on her and it is difficult for the parents to aid with the development of the school.

Apart from the water tank as an item of priority, she said that she would appreciate getting the stove and kitchen equipment so that students can have freshly prepared meals, and that will also reduce the stress on parents who have to prepare entire meals to send children to school with.

An organisation called the Personal Community Empowerment Builder (PCEB) has so far pledged to work alongside the principal to secure assistance for the school and to make contributions to the Lucky Hill Basic School upgrading project.