Jarmila Jackson, Features Writer
The damning findings of a survey on the state of literacy in rural St Andrew forced the residents of Woodford, a small community tucked away in the lush hills near Irish Town, into action.
Many children were performing below par in school. The Woodford Homework and Learning Centre was pursued as the solution to the problem.
It is one of seven projects nominated for the 2008 Michael Manley Award for Community Self-Reliance.
Carpenters, masons and other skilled people banded to construct the centre and since completion in 2004, their unyielding pledge has been to provide educational assistance to adults and children.
Comfortable environment
At least 18 students daily attend the homework centre, which is among the many initiatives of the Woodford Community Action Group. They sit in a cool and comfortable environment, receiving homework assistance from trained teachers while having access to textbooks, library and Internet facilities.
About 20 adults receive training in data entry through a HEART Trust/NTA-accredited programme.
There is also an annual parenting class to complement education with appropriate disciplinary techniques.
"Of all the communities in rural St Andrew, we have the largest number of children going into the city for school, so we just felt the need to provide a place closer to home where they could focus on their schoolwork in a harmonious atmosphere," says Carryean Hall, president of the centre's advisory board.
Remedial classes
The centre charges a monthly fee of $200 for Grade Six Achieve-ment Test (GSAT) and pre-GSAT classes for children as well as remedial reading and computer classes for adults.
"If a child comes and doesn't have money to pay, we don't turn anybody away. What we do is seek sponsorship, and there is always somebody from the community willing to sponsor a child," says Hall.
Through various fund-raising activities and donations from social organisations, the Woodford Homework and Learning Centre also caters to residents from the surrounding rural communities of Happy Gate, Peter's Rock, Free Town, Bardowie and New Grange.
