Students in a class at St Jago High School in St Catherine earlier this week. - Norman Grindley/Acting Photography Editor

The recent closure of the Bog Walk gorge in St Catherine is having a detrimental effect on students who, under normal circumstances, travel the route daily to get to school.

Among the issues facing them is the high cost of travelling, by bus, along the alternative routes of either Sligoville or Barry, which continues to be a concern at the schools.

The gorge was severely damaged during the passage of Tropical Storm Gustav last month and construction firm Bouygues has undertaken the repair of the roadway.

Extra money

Michael Yee Sing, acting principal at St Jago High, is worried about the extra money parents have to be paying, especially the parents who have Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) fees to pay in October.

"This is a big concern because not everyone can afford it, and digging deeper into their pockets to give their children extra money may cause a problem, because they might not be able to save," Sing said.

Dennis Clarke, principal of Dinthill Technical High School, is expressing similar concerns.

'I am concerned about the parents because it must be hard on them to find this extra money in the mornings," Clarke told The Gleaner.

In addition to the financial stress, it is difficult for the students to travel the long distance, as they are not getting enough rest. They say, however, that this will not affect their progress at school.

"It's very stressing to wake up 4:30 a.m. and don't reach back home until night and still have to do assignments," said Keisha Hyatt, a student who depends on the gorge.

However, for students such as Cavon Willock and Natania Gayle, it does not pose a problem because they have adjusted themselves to the situation so that it doesn't affect their progress at school.

Despite St Jago's policy of only allowing three late passes, the institution has to be disregarding tardiness because of the gorge. Sing said it would be unfair to punish the students facing this challenge, and it is difficult to say who is who.

Contrary to that, Clarke said, at Dinthill there is a system in place to discourage students from going to school late, and it remains in operation as the students have to manage their time wisely.

Preparing for exams

He said that, if they are late, it will affect them - especially CSEC students - in preparing for exams, so they have to bear the inconvenience for the time being.

Sing, however, said the closure of the gorge would not affect his school's syllabus because, at St Jago, they always do extra classes to ensure the success of students.

"We do a lot of fancy footwork to help students to be successful. One such is to go through the entire syllabus at the end, so students can catch up on what they missed so, at this initial stage, it won't affect them," Sing noted.

The inconvenience at the gorge, according to Lionel Pereira of Bouygues, will continue for approximately two weeks. He said, however, that the company is facing difficulties in completing its work as there are drivers who still use the route at nights and early mornings.