MANDEVILLE, Manchester – Leaders at four schools in Manchester and St Elizabeth reported a favourable turnout of exam students for the resumption of face-to-face classes yesterday following last week’s directive from the Government.

The majority of students sitting the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) Ability Test scheduled for May 26; the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), and the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams from June 14 to July 16 showed up for classes.

Heiley Salabie-Knight, principal of Mile Gully Primary School in north-western Manchester, told the Jamaica Observer that 23 of 26 PEP students turned up for classes yesterday.

“We welcome the resumption of face-to-face classes because it gives us the reality of where our grade six students really are and the interventions that are needed to be implemented in such a short space of time before the exams,” she said.

“We had the psychosocial sessions in the morning and then we went straight into academics, because we really have no time to lose right now. We really have to make use of every minute that we have with them now,” she added.

The parents of the three students who didn’t turn up for classes have been in contact with the school.

“Based on circumstances, they [students] weren’t able to be here because they are out of parish and one parent is preparing for tomorrow,” said Salabie-Knight.

Stanford Davis, principal of May Day High School located south of Mandeville, said he is concerned about some students who didn’t turn up for psychosocial sessions yesterday.

“Today [yesterday] was good because we had the psychosocial sessions. The students came in two groups.

However, he explained that classes for the 203 fifth- and sixth-form students would start today following the psychosocial sessions held yesterday.

“Because of the psychosocial sessions, some didn’t come. Tomorrow [today] we will have a better idea as to how it is going. About 83 students turned up today [yesterday]. We will be rotating the students on a three-day shift,” he said.

The three-day rotation means that a group of students attend face-to-face classes today, tomorrow and Thursday, while another set attends classes for the other three days.

Keith Wellington, principal of St Elizabeth Technical High School in Santa Cruz, said 90 per cent of the 430 fifth- and sixth-form students turned up for classes yesterday.

At Holland Primary School, Principal Simone Doctor said one of the students who turned up for classes yesterday had to be sent home due to an underlying condition.

“The day went well as the students appeared to be settled. I think, because they are grade six students, they behave mature. We had 27 of the 34 students [turning up]. We have one [student] with a comorbidity. He actually came, but we had to send him home. When he came he was sweating and could hardly breathe with the mask, as he is asthmatic. The guidance counsellor took him home,” said Doctor.