Second-form students of Jamaica College wave their hands in fellowship during a gospel crusade at the school in St Andrew yesterday. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

IT CERTAINLY wasn't business as usual at the 220-year-old campus of Jamaica College (JC) on Old Hope Road, St Andrew, yesterday where more than 300 grade-eight students came together for an afternoon of praise and worship.

More than 100 boys went up for the altar call, making the decision to give their lives to Christ.

The school has been hosting a weeklong gospel crusade since Monday as part of its intervention and transformation programme.

Like many schools across Jamaica, JC has been grappling with the problem of student discipline, which Principal Ruel Reid said he has been working assiduously to curb.

Support in the divine

This year's crusade, which ends today, is being held under the theme 'Jesus Now, Nuh Linga'. The school held a similar event last year, which saw some 241 boys turning their lives over to Christ.

Reid told The Gleaner that the aim of the crusade was to provide the boys with an alternative outlet to their problems, to give them hope that someone cares for them and wants them to do well.

"This crusade is reinforcing that there is great support in the divine. So, while you are being so frustrated while living on Earth, you have this supernatural power that you can rely on," he said.

After the crusade, those boys who sign a decision form will undergo six months of counselling with church personnel and will be encouraged to continue their walk with God.

"It's amazing how some of these youngsters pour out their problems during the counselling. Too often, we, as adults, don't understand the problem kids are going through," Reid told The Gleaner.

He added: "We as school administrators face the awesome problem of dysfunctional homes - abuse in the home, absentee caregivers. I have a number of students who are living on their own, so how do they cope?"

During The Gleaner's visit yesterday, some of the behavioural issues school administrators are forced to tackle on a daily basis were clear.

Distracted

It took a considerable amount of time for visiting Evangelist Howard Hinds from the Mona Heights Chapel to get the boys settled after they had entered the auditorium.

Even in the midst of the praise-and-worship session, there were those who were intent on doing other things - including sticking their fingers in their ears to block out the sound of the music, fixing old watches and resting their heads in their laps.

But when popular gospel artiste DJ Nicholas entered the auditorium, the boys came alive.

Reid said the fidgeting was just boys being boys and that the school has made a 180-degree turn in terms of discipline.

"It's now a matter of sustain-ability," he said.

athaliah.reynolds@gleanerjm.com