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LONG ROAD, St Mary — Tucked in the hills of rural St Mary, Long Road Primary School is more than just a place for learning; it is a lifeline, an official hurricane shelter for families in the hilly community after which it is named.
As the new school year approaches, Principal Andreth Gardner is asking a hard question, “How long can a small school keep carrying such a big burden with so little support?”
There are 44 students, five teachers, a cook and a janitor and the school is badly in need of repair. The memory is still fresh of recent rainfall that turned the access road into a river of mud and loose rocks, marooning students, teachers and the principal at the school for hours.
“Transportation was afraid to come up here,” Gardner told the
Jamaica Observer. “We had children and staff [here] because the PATH (Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education) bus and other vehicles could not get through.”
Member of Parliament for St Mary South Eastern Christopher Brown did some mitigation work, Gardner noted, but she is still worried.
“What will happen when we get another heavy rainfall? The children will again be disadvantaged,” said the school leader.
Some pupils live as far away as Islington. For many, the rural school bus system is the only way to get to classes. When the roads fail, so does their access to education.
Inside the school the scars of Hurricane Melissa are still visible. Part of the roof was torn away, leaving classrooms open to rain and wind. Some repairs were made but there is still a lot to be done.
“Although our past students were integral in raising funds for the roofing that was leaking, we still have sections of the roof that leaks and classrooms are flooded whenever it rains. We still have other sections of doors and windows that need urgent rehabilitation to make the building fully weather-proof,” said Gardner.
Grateful to alumni who have started work on a retaining wall she stressed the need for more help.
“That act of community support matters, but love alone cannot hold up a roof or stop a landslide,” said Gardner.
“Given our location and vulnerability to heavy rainfall, drainage and protection of the school compound are critical,” she pointed out.
She is hoping for long-term support from the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to ensure that Long Road Primary is safe and accessible for all its students.
