IMAGINE being a student in a classroom of 40 other vibrant pupils, trying to grasp a new mathematics concept being explained by your teacher at the blackboard — the very blackboard that is the only separator between your class and another one with just as many students.

Up until a few weeks ago, that was the reality of students at Dunrobin Primary School.

“When I came to school and saw the partitions, I was pleasantly surprised,” said 11-year-old grade six student Quwayne Morgan. “Since we’ve been back at school the noise has reduced significantly. Also, students from other classes used to crawl under the blackboard from their class and cause interruption. We do not have that anymore, so now we can hear our teacher and really focus.”

Dhandra Prince has hinged her plans for success in the Primary Exit Profile (PEP), which she will sit next year, on the change.

“I’m very excited about them. Now everyone can focus in the noise, especially now when we’re preparing for PEP,” the 10-year-old said. “Last year I did very well in PEP and I’m working towards doing even better this year, so I’m very happy and relieved that I don’t have to hear the students in the other classrooms again.”

Dhandra’s top-two schools of choice are Immaculate Conception and Ardenne high schools.

Built in 1970, the institution was once among the top-performing primary schools in Kingston. It was built to accommodate 850 students but grew to housing more than 1,800 at one point — more than twice its original capacity.

In addition, losing its perimeter fence meant the school was prone to constant theft and break-ins, which robbed the institution of essential resources like computers, water pipes and other critical school supplies.

“To say that we are grateful is an understatement, as this has been a huge challenge that has affected our overall academic output over the years,” Principal Noel Watt told the Jamaica Observer.

“We managed to do four partitions on our own, and then Active [Home Centre] stepped in and together we completed 15 additional partitions, making it a total of 19 classrooms where students can learn undisturbed. Students were not focused, as the noise from other classrooms was a big distraction,” he explained.

Watt, who is known as a strict disciplinarian, has been on a mission to help the school return to its former glory of being among the top-performing primary schools in the country. Dunrobin started the transformation journey in 2013, with immediate efforts put into reducing the student population in order to improve teacher/student ratios in the classrooms.

 “We’ve made great progress since then,” said Watt. “Our student population has significantly reduced, making it easier for teachers to provide more one-on-one attention. Professional development for teachers is also very active and in line with the ministry, to ensure [our students] are fully equipped.”

The fruits of its labour are paying off in other ways too. For example, student Alexi-Ann Lindsay recently received the JAG Smith Sr scholarship as the top-performing girl in all government-owned schools based on her PEP performance.

Now that learning conditions have improved, grade six teacher Kingsley Hairs is expecting the school to perform even better in coming years.

“As a teaching body, we’re all very happy that we now have our own space. We can take our time with our students to help them along their journey without disturbing each other. To people who can’t relate, it might not be a big deal, but to us, it will make a big difference in how our students learn,” Hairs said.

Hairs has been teaching at Dunrobin Primary since 2003 and says he completely loves what he does. He said it motivates him to see his students excel at their exams, move on to the tertiary level, and do well in their careers.  

 The classroom partition project was completed over the summer holidays.

In addition to the partitions, Active Home Centre awarded five grade six students with Kingston Bookshop vouchers valued at $20,000 each.

Said Principal Watt: “We cannot thank Active Home Centre enough for stepping in once again and partnering with us in such a big way to construct these partitions. We have more work to be done, but we have a team of dedicated and committed teachers, parents, school board, business partners, and the wider community, who share our vision of achieving excellence throughout the school.”