Parents Face Back To School Woes Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Parents face back to school amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The upcoming academic year is being met with grave uncertainty by some parents. Most overwhelmed by the idea of their children returning to a physical environment open to the threat of COVID-19. Along with financial costs to cover pending back to school expenses the pandemic has left many Jamaican parents short.

In an interview with CVMLive, one parent said, “We nuh really deh pan so much funds to buy back uniform, books and stuff. We need help with that so all of them money deh weh grant freely should have give back to parents inna these time or in September now to buy back uniform, school book and stuff. We no really have it. COVID mash up everything.”.

He is referring to the grant provided under the Government’s CARE programme. Another parent laments the back to school period saying it will be chaotic with the rush to make purchases.

Another parent said, “As them come inna the bookstore the demand fi it, as them come them gone. So there are problems and issues.”

Others believe they will be able to manage, “Even if like school no reopen they still have the books them so they can read and learn a little bit at home until school reopens. So we don’t have an issue with that.”

The Ministry of Education, Youth, and Information is now advising that the policy directive on registration fees is in keeping with the Ministry’s mandate of ensuring that the cost to parents remains minimal for children to attend public school.

The Ministry in a recent bulletin, further outlined that there should be no increase in parent contribution for the academic year 2020/2021, all charges for registration packages must first be approved by the ministry before they are affected.