STUDENTS, parents, principals,and teachers at institutions in Spanish Town, St Catherine, met the start of the new school year on Monday with open arms, minds and vows to deliver the best education, despite challenges.

Sydel Harrison, who is the legal guardian for her grand-niece, Nyheicia Surdeen, and grand-nephew Rajane Smith, was excited to accompany them to the Spanish Town Infant School. Monday was the first time that five-year-old Surdeen, a leukaemia patient at the Bustamante Hospital for Children, was attending school. With a radiant countenance there was no external evidence of her illness.

“I feel proud seh dem gone back out, especially for the girl,” said Harrision, the supportive grand-aunt.

“She has leukaemia but they are working on it now. Dealing with the illness is not as difficult like the first time. She is so happy to go to school and she is so glad to be able to learn, although she may not learn as fast as the rest of students.”

The Jamaica Observer then visited St Catherine Primary School where Tavain Lowe expressed that her daughter was overly excited to return to school.

“This morning she woke up very early,” Lowe shared.

According to St Catherine Primary Principal Nadine Bennett Hibbert, everything was not in place for Monday’s start of school but she was, nevertheless, confident that it will not affect their pursuit of excellence.

“We don’t have all our white boards installed, and we don’t have some of our textbooks that were to be purchased by the parents and the ones that were to be sent by the ministry. We are going to let things work until they come.

“We are looking for continued success; we are actually looking to outdo what we did last year. We did very well last year in terms of our performances and our students’ placement in the Primary Exit Profile. I am looking forward to another productive year and I wish all principals, students and parents a successful year as well. The challenges are there but we are working it out as a team.”

Meanwhile, some schools were threatened with teacher shortage due to widescale resignations and retirement, but Roogae Kirlew, principal of Spanish Town Primary, said he has sorted out that issue.

“We are pretty much good to go. I had about two of our teachers who left this institution but were replaced. I did early interviews and those slots were filled. We have no staffing issue here and we also have no garbage issue. Our garbage was collected so we are pretty much comfortable and moving through smoothly. There was a concern from some of the parents of grades four and five that they were not getting the math book on the book list. The other books — so far from what I am picking up from the grade coordinators — [the situation] is that parents have purchased and are still purchasing, and that is pretty much going smooth.”