It’s been almost two years with a sad tune on loop. Music teacher Michael Hope, 42, of St Aloysius Primary School in Kingston, went missing on Wednesday, September 25, 2019, and there has been no trace of him since.

Hope’s car was found two days later along the Palisadoes main road and neither his family nor his colleagues have heard from him.

Panceta Walker, a teacher at St Aloysius, supervised Hope during his teaching practice when he was a student teacher at St Joseph’s Infant School and later recommended him to the principal of St Aloysius for a staff position. Walker told the Jamaica Observer that the administration was still reeling from Hope’s disappearance.

“It has been two long years. We as a staff are still grappling with his disappearance. There is no closure, and it is another school year and no answers. As this time comes around it saddens our heart, and the question lingers: ‘Why?’ I never in a million years thought that this would be the reality two years later,” Walker lamented.

According to a news release from constabulary’s Corporate Communications Unit, the teacher of Mount Ogle district near Lawrence Tavern, St Andrew, has been missing since September 24. He was last seen leaving St Aloysius Primary School for home at approximately 4:00 pm that day.

At the time of his disappearance he was wearing a brown bush jacket, brown tailored pants, and a pair of brown shoes. He is of a brown complexion, slim build, and is about five feet three inches tall, the police say.

Hope had taught grade one students at St Aloysius for the past decade and was also the grade one coordinator, who was set to receive an award for 10 years of service. Walker told the Sunday Observer that they didn’t expect this to be the reality after such a long time.

“We were quite hopeful of finding his body, even after a week or so. His absence was definitely felt during the previous school term. Every day his name is called. Michael Hope loves his job and his children. I say that without any reservation. He goes above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to his children.

“And, I am sure that during this time, during the pandemic, he would’ve been busy checking on his devices. We would have plans together, we would be making lesson plans together and finding the best way forward to assist his children and, more so, his parents. We truly missed his presence; however, God is still in charge,” said Walker.

When the Sunday Observer contacted Merlene Campbell, vice-principal for grades one to three at St Aloysius Primary, she declined to speak on the issue for fear of revisiting the painful situation. She noted, however, that the administration also suffered another loss last month, after grade six teacher Nichara Johnson Simpson died on August 3.

Meanwhile, president of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) Winston Smith told the Sunday Observer that the association has not received any updates in recent times on the investigation of Hope’s disappearance.

“We have not got any information concerning the case. We may have to have dialogue with the police. I don’t know if they will give us that information, but we’ll try. I have done some checks and come up blank,” Smith said.

“However, we are asking anyone with any information to make it available to the police so that justice can be served. We are also asking the police to ensure that this is not a number among the cold cases, as he was a valuable member of the society, who would have toiled hard in less-than-comfortable circumstance in a bid to educate our nation’s children. We commiserate with the grieving families, both personal and professional, as closure is sought in this matter.”