SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth — Even as face-to-face classes have resumed at Leeds Primary School near here, students and teachers are faced with another issue — unbearable heat — as the institution is yet to reconnect its electricity following a fire on March 9.

Principal Christene Dawkins-Beadle said she is concerned that grade six students scheduled to sit the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) may be left at a disadvantage due to the discomfort. She said teachers have been wearing masks due to the unbearable stench of smoke coming from ceilings in classrooms.

“Currently there is no electricity. The place is really hot. However, the infant department, we are hoping, will be getting electricity very soon, because we have gotten it all strung up and it is passed. We got that done last week,” she explained.

“The compliance certificate I got. The electrician is working so that by tomorrow (Tuesday) we will have electricity here in the infant department,” she added.

However, the greatest challenge remains with the larger section of the plant.

“We are also trying to isolate the electricity on the building that was not damaged, that is where the PEP exam [is to] be hosted Wednesday and Thursday. We are hoping to have that in place. If that is not in place I know it will be total disaster for students to be sitting PEP exam under those conditions,” added Dawkins-Beadle.

According to the Jamaica Information Service, Education Minister Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon last Thursday said the grade six students are currently being accommodated in the school’s infant department where they are actively engaged in preparations for the Performance Task test on Wednesday, March 19.

However, Dawkins-Beadle said already teachers and students had to resort to teaching outdoors due to the unbearable heat.

“Today (Monday) when I went around and I looked at some of the teachers they had to be sitting on the outside, because the classrooms are really hot. Santa Cruz is very hot… the breeze is not going through the building, it is really uncomfortable for teachers and students at this time,” she said.

“We really hope that we will be able to get the electricity sorted out in time for our PEP exam,” she added.

Dawkins-Beadle said last week’s visit by Morris Dixon and pledges from various stakeholders for support are of great help.

“She did a tour of the fire-ravaged building and other areas of the school. Today, we are in session as was promised. We worked extremely hard last week. The fire brigade came. They did some cleaning up in terms of giving us a power wash. We had people coming in and doing cleaning and painting of the buildings that were not totally destroyed,” said Dawkins-Beadle.

She said all students were in attendance at school on Monday and were receiving counselling.

“One of the things I learnt from them is that the children were more concerned about how the teachers and the principal are doing. I was really kind of surprised as to why. I must take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to the persons who have been with us ensuring that we get the support that we need,” she said.

“The Ministry of Education is on the job and I know that we are going to be rebuilding bigger and better. The past students are behind us 100 per cent,” added Dawkins-Beadle.