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The theft of copper cable has robbed students in Padmore district, Red Hills, St Andrew, of Internet connectivity, a setback that could see low participation in online classes over the next few weeks.
Reports reaching the Jamaica Observer indicate that Padmore, Rock Hall, and Coopers Hill, have been experiencing challenges with Internet connection for more than two weeks.
“Some of my teachers are affected by the issue as well. Some of them used to come to the school to get Internet to do the classes, so I don’t know what we are going to do,” Padmore Primary School Principal Keisha Hayle told the Observer yesterday.
“This shows you the degradation of the society. It shows you that people are getting very desperate because now when things are tightening up with the no-movement days and people aren’t hustling, they are stealing for survival,” she added.
The Government, in an effort to limit spread of the novel coronavirus, has instructed that Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays are no-movement days, effective August 22. The measure is scheduled to end on September 14.
Yesterday, Padmore Early Childhood Centre Principal Paulette Cunningham shared a similar experience, noting that the absence of Internet connectivity has hindered the operation of online classes and communication with parents.
“We have no Internet service in Padmore because the cables are down. That is the main problem for us. It will be a disadvantage to the school because we cannot communicate adequately with our parents. We have to wait until someone [a teacher] goes to another place where Internet is available to keep in touch. It is so hard communicating with the parents. Until the Internet comes back, things will not flow consistently,” she explained.
Cunningham said that when the school had Internet, online classes would be held for children ages four and five, but “since there is no Internet, we will have to put a hold on classes”.
“For the younger ones, we were told that there would be no face-to face classes, but we don’t know if there will be a change from the Early Childhood Commission,” she added.
Cunningham said, even though her staff has expressed readiness for the academic year, she is anticipating more support from parents with virtual classes.
“As usual, we give 100 per cent. We are trying our best, but during online classes, sometimes the children are alone and they do what they want to do. Sometimes parents have to go to work and they are not there sometimes and that made things difficult for the teachers last term. I hope that will be addressed this year,” she said.
Students across the island resumed classes on Monday for the start of the new school year.
In an interview with the Observer recently, Jamaica Teachers’ Association President Winston Smith said a number of schools reported moderate to severe connectivity issues, including schools in rural St Andrew. It is an issue that the association is concerned about, he added.
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