Black River High School in St. Elizabeth has put measures in place to ensure that students can sit their Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations on campus, despite significant damage caused by Hurricane Melissa last October.
Principal, Christopher Romans, told JIS News that alternative arrangements have been made following the loss of the school’s auditorium, which previously served as the main examination centre.
Students will now sit their exams in the block currently occupied by grade-11 classes, with careful planning to accommodate candidates, while minimising disruption to the wider student population.
“What we have done, to date, is that we have worked out daily the number of students who will be sitting the exam each day, so we know the space requirement,” he said.
“So, from then, we can have a plan in place, because we do not want to keep [other] students out for any extended period during exams, because they would have already lost quite a bit,” Mr. Romans further explained.
To address learning loss caused by the hurricane, Principal Romans pointed out that extra-lesson classes will be conducted for upper and lower school levels during the first two weeks of summer to mitigate the learning loss students experienced during the hurricane.
He expressed gratitude for the launch of the Jamaica Public Service extra classes initiative, which he said benefited the Black River High School CSEC students significantly.
Furthermore, Mr. Romans emphasised that teachers have implemented grace periods and extra assistance to enhance exam readiness.
“We’re still working with some students to ensure that they cross the line, so to speak, and they can reap success. We’re putting in whatever measures we can to ensure that they are prepared for exams so that they can perform at the highest standard possible,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Mr. Romans disclosed that attendance among upper-school students has declined, averaging approximately 65 per cent, with occasional increases to about 70 per cent. He noted that some grade-11 students attend school only three days per week.
Financial constraints have been identified as the primary barrier to attendance, along with transportation challenges and reduced motivation among some students.
The principal is urging parents experiencing difficulties to engage the school in seeking solutions.
“Those who are unable to send their child to school for the five days per week, I’ll say to them, reach out to the school. You should know your year (grade) supervisors’ numbers, the guidance counsellor’s number, and work to see how best we can support your child or find resources. There may be donors who are willing to provide support to students,” he urged.
