By Rayon Dyer, Gleaner WriterMEMBERS OF the Mountainside Primary School development committee and the school board broke ground at the institution for the construction of a computer lab and library recently.
The school was awarded recently by the St. Elizabeth Home-coming Foundation for its contribution to education in the parish of St. Elizabeth.
According to chairman of the school board, Donovan Williamson, the problem of overcrowding at the institution has reached crisis proportion and was in need of urgent attention. He said the bathroom facility was in a bad state, adding that the government needs to pay close attention to these things before they get worse.
"As chairman of the school board, I will be seeing to it that we will remain committed to the completion of the project. The school needs the computer lab and library, not only the school, but the community need it also," said Mr. Williamson, who is also executive assistant to Senator Kern Spencer, State Minister for National Security.
LAUDING EFFORTS
Guest speaker at the function Ruel Reid, a teacher, lauded the great efforts of the school, the development committee and the school board for their work, which resulted in ground being broken to establish the computer lab and library.
"The standard of teaching in the early childhood system must improve," Mr. Reid said. "Regardless of race or class or economic status, all are entitled to a fair chance and to the tools for developing their individual power of mind and spirit to the utmost."
He said that a child's first teacher is his/her parent and it would be much easier task in teaching a child later on to read, if parents expose the child to reading from very early. He noted, however, that a teacher will have to deal with the economic, emotional and psychological needs of children to achieve effective learning.
Mr. Reid said, "The best way to achieve this is to be their mentor, friend, facilitator and even confidant."
