Despite expansion Marlie Mount Primary to remain on shift even after Covid

Indeed, the realization of this $110 million project of 10 classrooms along with sanitary amenities could not have come at a better time, as the government tinkers with the idea of resuming face-to-face learning amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

• Education Minister urges flexibility after visiting Old Harbour school

The expansion of Marlie Mount Primary was always in the pipeline but for several reasons unknown to us, the project never got to the production phase until last year. The institution, which opened its doors for the first time in 1972, had exceeded its capacity years ago, forcing the school's administrators to operate two shifts which is the case even to this day. At one point 1,700 students were enrolled making it one of the larger primary institutions on the island in terms of population. In some cases there were on average 40 students to a teacher, well above the national requirement of 25:1.

Since his elevation from teacher and guidance counsellor to that of principal, Calvin Harris has been crunching the numbers in an effort to find a real solution to its overcrowding problems. The new block of classrooms, built to international standards, is now seen as a silver lining that will once and for all solve its conundrum and also return the school to operate on a single shift for the first time since 2002.

Alas such hope is being further delayed because of Covid and its strict protocols that must be observed and adhered to when outside our homes.

But even if Covid should end overnight due to a magical cure Marlie Mount will continue to operate on two shifts, Harris has revealed.

"No, the school would not be able to come off the shift system. Even if there was no covid," he said in an interview with Old Harbour News after also breaking ground for the construction of four new classrooms for the infant department.

During the initial phase of its assessment, the school had lobbied for 16 classrooms, which it contended would see it resume to operating from 8:00 in the mornings to 2:30 in the afternoon. This in effect would lengthen contact time between teacher and student which is one of the main objectives by the state to improve the quality of education.

Armed with the knowledge that they will be getting six less classrooms than they'd proposed, the school  had to decide on a another course of action to achieve single shift status.

"Initially when we had over 1,700 children, we had lobbied for 16 classrooms because that would have been able to take our children off… and that we were calculating it at 1 to 30. Now it is now 1 to 25," explained Harris. "What we did though was to try to take in less students over the years and so our numbers now are approximately 1,500."

It was a deliberate and sensible move to mitigate the overcrowding. That in all likelihood will be the strategy of the school in the years ahead, as the possibility for further expansion any time soon would be viewed as wishful thinking. Indeed there are more than 30 schools islandwide that the government must upgrade as soon as possible to come off the two-shift system. 

As for those children residing in the Old Harbour  area who will be denied entry on the grounds of insufficient space, that's a matter not for Harris but  for the government to resolve.

Regarding the additional classrooms, Harris said a proposal has been submitted to the education ministry. A response is still forthcoming but the school should not hold its breath in anticipation to receive one anytime soon as they are most likely down the pecking order for priority treatment as far as the ministry is concerned.