The effects of crime have had a negative impact on Effortville Primary School in Clarendon, but the passion and zeal of one individual and the foundation he leads has rekindled hope for the children in the usually crime-plagued community.

Otis James, founder of the James and Friends Education Programme, says he is impressed by the work the staff has been doing at the school.

“I see a lot of students come home with schoolwork daily, so it is evident that the teachers are doing their job, maybe even more than they are expected to or supposed to do. So, for Teachers’ Day I decided to surprise them with lunch at Murray’s Fish and Jerk Hut, which is also a sponsor of the programme,” James explained.

“I took out the entire staff, so not only the teachers are here but the support staff, ancillary workers and watchman were also included because they all make up a part of the teaching-learning body,” he said.

The gesture, James said, was his way of showing appreciation to the staff for the work they have been doing, even during the height of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“Some parents who live outside the community don’t want to send their kids to this school, but I have a special passion for the community and I think a lot of parents don’t have the passion and drive that they should have. A lot of them give up,” James told the Jamaica Observer at the teachers’ luncheon.

Principal Lisa Holmes-Shirley shares the same belief.

“We have made a decision to ensure that Effortville Primary becomes the school of choice, so we don’t consider ourselves the way people look at us. We are a beacon on the hill and we are determined to shine. The COVID period was quite challenging but we managed by being innovative. We were all on Google Classroom and we got support from JSIF (Jamaica Social Investment Fund) and PATH (Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education) and that made it a little easier. Some days we had over 50 per cent participation, other days it was just 30 per cent, but we did our best,” she said.

According to grade six teacher Suzanne Scarlett-Lara, the number of students have decreased from more than 400 to 249. She said apart from the pandemic and the unwanted stigma, the students are multi-talented.

“We have very good artists and athletes. At Effortville we instil in them that their location should not be a factor in determining who they are. We might be in the ghetto but we are as good as any other school in the Corporate Area. I am not deterred by what happens in the surroundings, but stay motivated by the grades that are produced by my students. When exam results are out, the feeling is overwhelming and is much better than the monthly salary,” she beamed.

“Our mantra at Effortville Primary is that we must reach every child, no matter what, because each of them is important to us. And so we do whatever it takes to ensure they are on par with any other school in Jamaica,” added Scarlett-Lara.

Vice-Principal Dwyneth Blackwood, who has been at the school for 29 years, said the job has been very rewarding.

“The children motivate me. They are so young and innocent and they want to come to school and see their teachers and friends and they want to learn; and because teachers know they are eager to learn it makes us want to teach. It’s very motivating to get up in the mornings and come and see them because they even start writing before you put the work on the board,” she told the Observer.

Blackwood, who is nearing her retirement, advised younger teachers to be motivated and committed to the work and not the pay.

“Don’t let what you are getting demotivate you. When you are committed and motivated money doesn’t matter to you,” she said, adding that teacher migration over the years has affected the school.

As a result, James is appealing to the Ministry of Education to play a greater role in developing the school.

“I would like to see a karate teacher on staff because the students are energetic and active. A swimming pool would also be a great addition because the students are talented. I was not born in that community, neither was I raised there, but I live in a neighbouring community and if things in that community are not right it will affect me. I have two daughters — one wants to be a lawyer and the other a doctor, and if I put out all the effort to support my kids, the same person I turn my back on now may hold a gun on my daughter and and just like that my seven, eight million dollars investment and my child’s life gone down the drain,” he said.

“So if we can save a youth they wouldn’t have the chance to hold up another person with a gun, because I believe in that community and that’s the reason I push so hard,” said James.

Principal Holmes-Shirley said James’s effort is greatly appreciated by the teachers and support staff.

“This is a very wonderful experience and we feel appreciated. What James did for us is out of the box, and on behalf of the teachers I’m expressing my heartfelt thanks,” she said.