The 2022-2023 academic year kicked off on Monday, with school administrators and parents looking hopefully towards an uninterrupted return to the classroom for students.

“We are hoping for a COVID-free year,” Principal of the St Joseph’s Infant School, Rose-Marie Clarke told OBSERVER ONLINE, referring to the coronavirus pandemic which has heavily disrupted learning the last two academic years.

Clarke said necessary measures have been put in place by the Duke Street, Kingston-based institution to ensure that all stakeholders can operate in an orderly, safe and secure environment.

“We have had excellent online school, and, in addition to that, we have (students) signing in at the front where temperature checks are being done,” Clarke said, explaining that the school is prepared to “catch any eventualities such as fever before (students) enter the compound.”

She said, also, that a nurse is on the compound.

“We are quite happy that we have someone looking out for our students who may show early signs of any of those illnesses,” said the principal.

Guidance Counsellor of St Aloysius Primary, Tracy-Ann Taffe Thompson indicated that the downtown Kingston-based school was fully prepared for face-to-face learning amid the ongoing pandemic and that parents and students have been sensitised on the expectations.

“We sent them messages about the COVID-19 protocols,” Taffe Thompson said.

In the meantime, Eveana Henry, popularly known as dancehall artiste ‘Pamputtae’, expressed optimism over a productive year for her son, who attends the St Aloysius Primary School, noting that a full year of face-to-face classes could provide an avenue for children to become more focused on their studies, especially those who are to sit the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations.

“My son has been excited to see his friends and his new teacher. But at the end of the day, I have had to tell him to settle down and put in more work than before because he has to make preparations for PEP,” Henry said.

“For face-to-face classes, I’m expecting things to be a little better because COVID-19 came and got the children a little distracted, and virtual classes would mean that they have to be using the tablets throughout the day, which causes some of them to be missing from classes because they are children,” Henry added.

Jamaica has recorded more than 150,000 COVID-19 cases and 3,260 deaths throughout the pandemic. But, while the daily cases of the coronavirus have remained relatively low over the last several months, the emerging threat of monkeypox has some parents concerned.

“It is a concern, I am not taking it lightly,” one father, who wished to remain anonymous, told OBSERVER ONLINE.

Another challenge for many schools across the island is the shortage of educators. In August, Minister of Education, Fayval Williams, indicated that 167 teachers have left their posts in the local education system for greener pastures.

Fortunately for St Aloysius, it has not been affected by the mass exodus of teachers.

“St Aloysius was not affected by the migration of teachers, so our complement of staff is here. As such, I am looking forward to the students and working with the parents and I know the children are excited to be out, so we are good to go,” Thompson Taffe said.

Clarke said while her school was not impacted by the rapid migration of teachers, her staff was reminded of their importance in the school system.