“I am so happy that school opening because one more day with these children and I don’t know how I would make it out. I know it will not be easy because now you have to think about packing lunch bag and waking up early, but look let these children go back to school,” a sister told me recently.
Tomorrow, school doors will officially reopen and while there will be mostly happy parents I am not sure about how children feel about going back to the classrooms. I am also not sure how teachers feel. (I see many of them shopping for their classrooms and some look eager.) Apart from the fact that many of them are not happy with the signed agreement between their union and the Ministry of Education, some say they are dreading the daily struggle they have with some of the children they teach.
I spoke to a few teachers, parents and children as the opening day of the first term of the new school year drew near and below are some of their comments.
“Well, I don’t know if I happy or anything that school opening. I happy to see some of my friends and so, but them teachers? Boy, I don’t know,” a budding second former told me.
“Secondary school hard you know and then them teachers strike so we didn’t really get no teaching in the last term and like it was nice time at first, but then you know I use to feel like why I going to school. I don’t really want to get back some a them teachers I had before. Some of them was nice but you see some of them…” he trailed off.
Pressed, he didn’t want to go into details but he later said he was very happy with his new school bag and it was obvious he wanted to flaunt it. I just hope that his second year of secondary school will be better than his first.
“I love school and I can’t wait to go back. I really enjoy it and I never really had no problems with teachers and so. Only sometimes I would be late but that is because of transportation but other than that school days are my best days,” a new fourth former shared.
I was pleased to hear that comment and I encouraged her to continue to focus and do well in her studies.
“I want to see my friends but sometimes I don’t like school. The work sometimes does be too hard,” a Grade Five pupil said.
But while she was hesitant about the school doors being reopened her mother was more than happy.
“I can’t wait for Monday to come and let she and she brother go back to school. These children does eat whole day when they home and then is fighting all the time. You go to work and come home and it is a complaint all the time. You home and is a complaint and is like you feel like you running mad,” the mother told me.
“I know is me children but I happy they going back to school. I done buy everything, they clothes done iron and on Monday morning bright and early they might be the first at the school,” she said with a little laugh.
A first-time school mother did not feel the same way.
“I think I will cry more than he because to be honest I don’t want him to go. I scared of the classroom and I don’t know if he tough enough to deal with it,” she said when I asked how she felt.
I told her we have all been through the phase and I told her she might even cry especially if he cries when she takes him to the classroom. But within the first week all should be well. She didn’t seem too convinced and said if she could have homeschooled she would have. I know mommy and son are going to be just fine after a few days.
“Well, this is my final year for school and next year time like this, I would not be going back if I pass my CXC or not. I am a bit scared because everybody say this is the time you have to buckle down and get a career and all those things and it is like I can’t believe I am this big now. I feel like I want to go back to form one or something,” a new fifth former said with a nervous laugh.
While I tried to calm him down his mother didn’t hesitate to hammer home the fact that it is a serious school year and it is all up to him to do well. I wished him well and told him to just focus and all will be okay.
While some of the teachers were generally happy to be back in the classrooms, after all it is their profession, others were not too keen.
“I am close to retirement and I just want to be out. School these days is not like when I first started. The children are just so rude and you can’t even discipline them. Sometimes I feel as if I am in a constant battle and it does nothing good for my health. But it is my job and I will do the best I can, but you see when it is time to retire I am not sure I will be unhappy,” one teacher told me.
“I like teaching nursery children; these children are so eager to learn and little things make them happy so I don’t mind going back to school. I know I will have to deal with the ones who don’t want to come because it is their first time, but after a few weeks things will be okay,” another teacher told me.
“I am just hoping that the broken furniture I left last term will be fixed and the toilets will be functioning. Teaching is not easy and the least we can have is a comfortable environment and oftentimes that is lacking. I want to return to school because my students need me but I want to also be comfortable,” another teacher told me.
I caught up with two teachers who were shopping for school supplies and they had carts filled with school items. (The Ministry of Education has been giving grants to teachers through their schools to buy supplies for their classrooms.) They appeared eager to return to the classroom.
“Well, I teach the younger children and they need the aids to help them to learn so I am happy at least I can purchase these things to assist with their learning. As to returning to the classroom, it is my job to teach and I am okay with retuning to my students, well it will be new students but they are now mine,” one told me.
The other declined to give a comment but from her filled cart I guessed she was happy to go back to her classroom. Whether teachers, students or parents like it or not, school doors reopen tomorrow and I would like to wish everyone all the best. Parents, do your part, students do your part and teachers do your part and everything else will fall into place.
