WHILE students at some hurricane-damaged schools are being forced into tents and under trees because classrooms remain unusable, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has argued that cooler outdoor environments can sometimes provide a setting more supportive of learning than some of the “unbearably hot” classrooms.

Speaking during Tuesday’s official launch of the Jamaica Reconstruction and Resilience Oversight Committee (JAMRROC) at Jamaica House in Kingston, Holness acknowledged the difficulties facing schools as the education system continues its recovery from Hurricane Melissa, while noting that more than 300 schools remain on the Government’s repair roster.

He said significant progress had been made despite the challenges associated with procurement, contracting and weather, and described the reopening of the school year as successful.

However, the prime minister said the current discussion about children learning outside should also take account of the conditions inside some school buildings, where excessive heat can make classrooms uncomfortable for both students and teachers.

“When I was going to school, that was my favourite time because the classrooms were so hot. And I’m not excusing the lack of resources in some schools but the truth is that sometimes… I visited the classrooms a few times… [and] the classrooms are unbearably hot, many of them. And so we should not look down on having our children learn closer to nature in cooler environments and in a setting that is more supportive of learning,” he said.

Grade two students at Holland Primary School seated during their outdoor class under a bamboo structure on Monday. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Holness was commenting on the broader recovery of the education system, rather than responding specifically to any one school, after noting that newspapers had highlighted children learning outside under trees.

The situation has nonetheless become a visible feature of the post-Melissa recovery, with some schools reopening while permanent classrooms remain unavailable.

At Holland Primary School in St Elizabeth, for example, students in grades two and three were moved outside after a tent being used as temporary classroom space became too hot. Grade three students took shelter under a mango tree, while the second graders used a bamboo structure. The school is using four tents and needs five classrooms to accommodate its 215 students.

For Holness, however, the condition of the learning environment also extends beyond the state of school buildings.

He said the Government is using the recovery as an opportunity not only to repair schools, but also to consolidate some institutions and rebuild others as it considers how best to use the country’s education infrastructure.