MONTEGO BAY, St James — Senior pastor of Faith Temple Assemblies of God and Custos of St James Bishop Conrad Pitkin has given a commitment that the place of worship will accommodate students of Barracks Road Primary School for as long as needed. Fifth and sixth graders now do their lessons at the church, which is located on Princess Street, a six-minute walk from their school.

According to a message purportedly from school officials to parents, classes were relocated to the church because “the school building is severely compromised”.

Two days of efforts to get a response from school officials proved futile, however individuals with knowledge of the situation told the Jamaica Observer that the roofs of several classrooms are being repaired.

Bishop Pitkin said it was a no-brainer when they were asked to help.

“Several of their classrooms were not ready and so those children would have been out of school for the period which it would take to do the necessary repairs,” he explained.

“They approached the church and the church is a part of the community. We do have a vested interest in the education of our children and so it didn’t take us much to say ‘yes, we would facilitate the school at the ministry until the repairs have been done’,” the man of the cloth added.

Pitkin anticipates that students will soon be back in their classrooms.

“It’s an interim period, which is not long, but we will provide that support,” he disclosed.

The area of the church now being used by the Barracks Road students once housed a prep school.

“The prep school is no longer there and so that is not impacted and it will not impact the ministry of the church,” Pitkin assured.

After one parent raised concerns, on social media, that students would be exhausted from walking from the school to the church, there was an outpouring of concern that the well-known school was in such dire need of repair. It was later clarified that there is a bus service that takes students to and from both locations. However one mother, who asked not to be identified by name, said she cannot afford the $1,000 per child fee being proposed.

“I am hearing that they may want us to pay, and I can’t afford that,” she told the Observer.

“We’re not certain how long the students will be there,” she added.

There are reports that online classes were considered but it was decided that students would be more comfortable and productive with face-to-face tutelage. The fact that they are preparing for PEP (Primary Exit Profile) exams was also a deciding factor.

“I hope everything will work and I hope it will sort out soon,” the worried parent said.