One of the most celebrated secondary schools in southern Jamaica, St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS), has been left in ruins following the passage of Hurricane Melissa, which devastated central and western parts of the island earlier this week.
Speaking to Barbados TODAY on Saturday, Principal Keith Wellington said the institution, located in St Elizabeth, suffered “significant wind and water damage” as the powerful Category 5 system tore across the region.
Principal Keith Wellington
“We suffered significant wind damage, so a number of our buildings lost their roofs in their entirety… teachers’ cottages, classroom blocks, our grandstand on the playing field,” he said. “Because of that, rain got into those buildings, so our flooring and electrical systems were also affected.”
Wellington said the destruction will disrupt schooling for months.
“We need to do a lot of cleaning up and some relocation for students. We have a student population of approximately 1 700. Not all will be able to attend school on any given day for the next four to six months,” he estimated.
Classes are expected to be disrupted for months.
The school, locally dubbed the Home of Champions, is known for excellence in academics and sports. When the team from Barbados TODAY visited the compound, a few students and staff members were on the ground recovering what they could from the ruins.
The principal shared that many teachers and students are also grappling with damage to their homes and poor communication and transport links in surrounding communities.
“Even if we were to reopen, we wouldn’t have a significant turnout because many families in these areas were badly affected,” he noted.
Recounting his own experience as the storm struck, Wellington, who lives on the school compound said it was “surreal” and “not an experience you’d want to have twice.”
Earlier this week, Jamaica’s Education Minister, Dana Morris Dixon, said schools in less-affected parishes such as Kingston and St Andrew may reopen on Monday, but institutions in St Elizabeth, Manchester, and Westmoreland will remain closed until further assessments are complete.
Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Tuesday, lashing Jamaica with destructive winds and heavy rain that flattened homes, damaged key infrastructure, and left thousands without electricity or water. (SM)
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