WESTERN BUREAU:

High-school principals in western Jamaica are confident that they will get over the hurdles to ensure a hassle-free start to the new academic year.

According to Iris Stoddart, vice-principal at Green Pond High School, the main challenge her institution is experiencing is the lack of textbooks for rental for the 10th- and 11th-grade students.

"We have not received the textbooks from media services (an arm of the Ministry of Education) for our fourth- and fifth-form students, which is cause for concern, especially because these students will soon be sitting CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate) exams," Stoddart revealed.

"Most of the parents may not be able to afford the books, so renting them from the school is their only option."

Despite the textbook setback, she noted that the school has received the government allocation for tuition fees and for the school's maintenance fund.

Stoddart added that the school has received 80 per cent of auxiliary fees from grade-seven students, while 50 per cent of fees have been paid by the remaining grades.

Petersfield High School in Westmoreland is trying to make the best of what little resources it has, according to principal Eugenie Spence.

"We are trying to make ends meet. We have received a little above 50 per cent of the government allocation, so we are trying our best with what we have. We don't have any major challenges heading into the new school year."

Arrangements

She noted that some parents have paid auxiliary fees and others have made arrangements to pay, a process that the school has facilitated particularly because of the current recession.

Vice-principal at Hopewell High, Byron Grant, said the 2009-2010 school year looks promising.

While the school did not receive funds from the education ministry to undertake school repairs, he congratulated the parents for doing their part.

"They (parents) are complying in terms of the payment of the auxiliary fees," Grant said. "We are managing our resources and have found creative ways to alleviate the challenges that we are faced with."

sheena.gayle@gleanerjm.com