Dear Editor,

I am a first-year student at the Church Teachers’ College on the Mandeville campus.

Recently, we were informed of a meeting scheduled for Friday, April 23, 2021 with our principal, Dr Garth Anderson, regarding the resumption of face-to-face classes starting May. However, last Wednesday, an e-mail was sent out cancelling that meeting, and another informing us that face-to-face classes resume on Monday, May 3, 2021 as the image attached states.

I agree that the COVID-19 cases have been reduced significantly; however, the virus is still real and many people are still dying from it.

I live with my mother, who is in her late 50s with several underlying illnesses including hypertension, diabetes, and a severe heart condition. As a result, we have significantly limited our outings to only the absolute essentials or we try to use delivery services.

I was, therefore, very grateful to be having my classes online.

This decision taken to resume face-to-face classes by the school administrators may seem like the best decision; however, many of us as students have serious concerns regarding it. I believe the meeting was deliberately cancelled so that our opinions could not be voiced.

Regardless of our status in the school or our age, we are all adults and we should be a part of the decision-making, especially in regards to things that will directly affect us or our families.

There is only six weeks left in the semester and most students were hoping to finish the semester online and start the new school year face to face, if all goes well with controlling the virus.

I am hoping to get our voice out there for other individuals to lobby for us to finish the semester online to help protect ourselves and our families. It is highly unfair for us to be forced to return to face-to-face classes, wherein we will be exposed to various people from different background who may have contracted the virus. Additionally, those boarding on campus will be at greater risk of an outbreak, since they will be coming in contact with us coming from outside.

It puts everyone in grave danger to force the resumption of face-to-face classes and our Dr Anderson can do much better to protect his students. We can’t be paying almost $400,000 per year to not be valued, appreciated, or heard. We deserve to be a part of all decisions that will affect us.

Scared student

Manchester