‘We need to find the students’

Jamaica Prefects’ Association (JPA) President Nashá Patterson is calling for urgent, coordinated action to locate and re-engage students who have stopped attending school following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

Patterson warned that absenteeism is deepening learning loss and contributing to growing demotivation among teachers.

Reports coming out from Regions 4 (Hanover, Westmoreland and St James) and 5 (St Elizabeth and Manchester) have raised red flags for the student leadership body, with classrooms now operating at less than half their usual capacity.

“Students are there physically, but mentally they’re not there,” Patterson said, noting reduced classroom engagement, especially in parts of St Elizabeth and Westmoreland. According to Patterson, prefects from a St Elizabeth-based institution even reported that classes which previously had 25 students are now seeing as few as 10.

This decrease in turnout has not just affected students but educators as well.

“It’s somewhat demotivating as an educator,” she said, explaining that teachers struggle to maintain enthusiasm when attendance is inconsistent.

The organisation recently raised these concerns directly with the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information during a stakeholder meeting held last November.

The JPA president argued that Jamaica already has systems in place that could be adapted to locate missing students.

“If we can verify voters for elections and go to people’s homes to confirm addresses, then we can very much go and find students,” Patterson said. She pointed out that schools currently maintain databases with student addresses, making it possible for targeted outreach to be conducted through home visits and community engagement.

Rather than simply continuing the academic calendar as normal, Patterson also believes that authorities must first understand why students are not returning.

“We need to find out why XYZ student, who used to live in Newell, is no longer showing up to school. Call the parents. Physically visit the homes.”

Last month, Education Minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon told the Senate that post-hurricane absenteeism was at 18 per cent in Region 3, which covers Trelawny and St Ann, and 28 per cent in Region 4. Absenteeism has been exacerbated by internal displacement as a number of families have not returned to their communities.

Beyond attendance, Patterson warned that attempting to “push through” the curriculum without addressing emotional and psychological impacts risks creating the illusion of progress. The JPA, she said, stands ready to support these efforts, but stressed that responsibility cannot rest solely on students and teachers.

“We can’t just teach, teach, teach and try to get back to normal. We need strict measures, we need evaluation, and we need action,” Patterson stated, urging data-driven intervention and home visits to understand student absenteeism.

As student leaders continue to raise the alarm, Patterson said the message is simple but urgent. Jamaica must stop waiting for students to return and instead go and find them.

editorial@gleanerjm.com