Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced last month that schools will return to full face-to-face classes after the mid-term break, and with just two days to go many parents in Kingston and St Andrew have indicated their readiness to send their children back to school.

Holness had told the House of Representatives on February 10 that the nation’s education system was being “terribly affected” by the novel coronavirus pandemic and that Jamaica cannot afford “for our education system to be deprived any longer… I shudder to think of the [potential] education loss and the impact it will have five, six, 10 years down the road if we don’t move quickly to correct it”.

Likewise, some parents with whom the Jamaica Observer spoke on Friday expressed a similar worry, explaining that the pandemic had given the children too much time to idle and argued that a face-to-face school setting would set them back on track.

Ahlibria (Mother of a grade six student)

I am ready and am fully prepared. I have his shoes, socks, and uniform and all he needs. I bought them from way before when they started to accept them at school for one and two days.

Khameishah (Mother of a grade two student)

I am not really ready but I have help. My baby father is always there to make sure my son is okay. I will provide anything else I can, for the moment, to do what is right and to make the best decision for my child. I will be a bit worried about him because the pandemic is not gone. I also worry about him being unable to breathe right through the day under the mask. I, as an adult, have trouble breathing, so imagine my son. I think it is the best thing to do because we cannot keep the kids at home. Most times when they are at home and doing virtual class, either the Internet is not connecting or something is happening. I think when they go back fully face-to-face they will learn a lot more.

Monique Reid (Store clerk)

For the full face-to-face, I don’t agree because my son’s class has 24 students. To have 24 students in one class is too much. They won’t be able to social distance properly because the space small. When it was test time and all students should come in, they had to split the class in two. She (teacher) had 12 and another teacher had 12 and she could barely manage. Even when she had the online and some were in face-to-face, you constantly heard her telling them to pull up their masks. They can’t keep on their masks long. I am alright with my son doing both at home and at school. Him learn just the same because we try fi mek sure seh we provide wah him need and help him. But full-time is too risky. The COVID cases still a climb. I don’t think they can manage.

Andrea Warren (Vendor)

A lot of the children at home are not studying and have too much free time and they are backward, so what you may find is pure illiterate student or people further down the line. I am happy for the full face-to-face coming back again. At least we will have their intelligence come back. I have a grandson who has become backward. What him used to know before, all of that erase. My friend has a son and is just pure games. The children are glad when there is no school. Some don’t have any interest, so I am happy for this.

Benjamin (Gizzada vendor)

A long time dat fi gwaan. When face-to-face school and everything a keep, the street move faster and and things move faster. A gizzada mi sell, so mi love when di school pickney dem out. I have two children going to school.

Ernel Williams (Taxi loader)

Mi ready, because di youth dem fi have education. Mi nuh want mi youth dem come do nuh sweeping out of house and dem thing deh. A education a di key and mi nuh want nobody come use dem. A di greatest thing inna life. When dem see faces mi glad fi dat. When dem deh a yard it come een like dem nah do no work. When you have your subjects, it better dan when you have no education. If you want a work and you are qualified, you can get it.

Brenton Dillon (Bus conductor)

Mi kinda glad seh di schools a open back yes, because a nearly two years now and it really cost us to monitor them at home. When me and mi wife a go work, wi haffi send dem go a day care and dem thing deh and furthermore, dem did a drop back. Two of my three children going back to school and one of them forgot him ABC altogether. The six-year-old not so bad.

Noel Grayson (Peanut brittle vendor)

To be honest with you, I don’t think they know exactly what they want to do. I think they just want to please the public. Dem nah do it because dem 100 per cent sure that the pandemic is over. Dem just a do it because dem know that the children’s education is paramount and they are losing out. These children weh lose out in school, that is probably and 20-year setback for the nation from an academic perspective. I have two children at my house — a 10-year-old and a 12-year-old. My daughter has been in tune but my son has definitely been out of line. I had to have him differed last year because I was at home with him and I knew he was not ready to sit PEP. He got a one-year extension and hopefully he will be ready this time around.

Teon Wright (Bryan’s BookStore)

We are prepared for the upcoming book season, face-to-face classes and everything. Last year wasn’t bad for us, but with school not face-to-face things were a bit shaky, but we are ready, full force and prepared to take every customer and every parent.

Roy Euell (Security guard)

Mi well prepared fi dem. Mi mek sure dem have dem gears. Mi prepare fi dem properly. Mi get dem laptop, tablet, and books and sanitiser ready so that they can do the face-to-face classes.

Nichola Shorter (Branch manager, Sangster’s Book Stores, Springs)

Based on the announcements from the ministry, the head office has been doing what they have to do in terms of getting stocks in terms of what is on the book lists. We are facing a challenge where some of the suppliers did not get in as much stock as they would have if it was the norm, so some of them are reprinting. We are running low on some of the tiles from pre-school straight up to sixth form. There is shortage, but not from our end. Since the middle of last February, they have been coming in a steady flow with book lists and are focusing more on purchasing textbooks and not stationary items.