COVID-19 causes hunger, stress at basic school

ONE basic school principal has shared the grim reality of hunger, inadequate instruction and increased stress faced by her students since COVID-19 restrictions shuttered the door of her institution in March.

Verna Gordon, principal of Elim Basic School in Grant’s Pen, St Andrew, in an impassioned plea for assistance to ease the pressure her students and their families face, told a recent Kiwanis Club of New

Kingston meeting that since the novel coronavirus pandemic forced schools to use online platforms for delivery of lessons many of her students are without adequate instruction due to lack of devices and lack of understanding from parents regarding how to access the classes on various electronic devices.

“Some don’t have any device to use [and] some parents need help as they are not able to manage or manipulate the laptops or tablets. Because some are unable to help the children, they get angry and pour out the stress on the children. I live in the community with them and they complain that mom will do this and mom will do that,” Gordon said.

In addition, Gordon said many of the children are from single parent homes where one parent struggles to make ends meet and has to try and make one device work for more than one child.

“Sometimes it is three, four children and one device, so it’s a tug of war. In the afternoon when parents come home they use Whatsapp and try to see how much they can help the children,” she explained.

In this regard, the principal said other parents in the community are willing to help each other, but because of the highly contagious nature of the novel coronavirus, those who are able to assist have become fearful and choose to err on the side of caution.

Another issue, Gordon shared, is that some parents cannot negotiate work-from-home arrangements and as a result children are left with grandparents, many of whom are vendors, and have to accompany them as they try to make a sale to put food on the table.

Further, she said, many of the children are hungry as the free lunch they would get at school has discontinued because the canteen is closed.

“We usually have 180 students, now we have 83. From time to time I receive food items from friends and will distribute to those who are desperate, but it is very difficult for parents in general. We usually give 100 free lunches, but we are not cooking anymore. The canteen is closed, so we can’t help them much,” she said. “The fathers, it is like they don’t really exist, so I have to continue helping the best way I can. Many teachers live far from school but we have been trying, working together with the parents and helping them to cope in the best way possible.”

To help stem the problem, Gordon made an appeal for more devices and donation of food supplies to assist the students.

“Based off the challenges at my school, if we get more devices we could help more parents, but some children will need face-to-face interaction because of the lack of knowledge for some of the caregivers keeping the children. The funds from the $6,000 school fee can do so much and no more. But step by step we are trying to do the best we can to help,” she said.

Gordon expressed thanks to the Early Childhood Commission for the assistance they have given but also expressed hope that the school family can be together soon in order to better help each other.