The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

GRAYCLIFF and Bain and Grants Town MP Travis Robinson are facilitating students’ virtual learning at a makeshift school at the popular restaurant.

According to Mr Robinson, the programme, which was launched last week, has 72 students. The students all go to class on a rotation, with 26 of them each day facilitated in the classroom.

Mr Robinson explained the co-owner of the restaurant emailed one night and stated she had an idea she wanted to run by him.

“The next day she and I met and she told me she wanted to partner with the community in any way possible to facilitate (learning) during the COVID-19 time,” he said.

She was able to offer the property free of charge for students who did not have internet or electricity at home and needed a learning space.

“She told me she had an area that possibly can be used for students to learn if need be and so it just happened all at once where she was able to offer the property free of charge for us to use.”

The new learning environment came about due to COVID-19 restrictions in New Providence, which mandates virtual learning.

He added: “The programme was designed because Bain and Grants Town is a constituency that has many challenges specifically for this case, issues such as electricity, parents whose electricity is still off. Parents who can’t purchase the tablets and laptop for their children to do online learning and then those parents who have the devices but they don’t have the Wifi or internet access at home.

“Those were the multiplicity of concerns that came to me as the member of Parliament and so I thought about how we can remedy that challenge and what solution can be brought about and that’s where the Bain and Grants Town Virtual School Graycliff Campus came about.”

He described the programme as “a tremendous help” for the “hundreds of parents” in the community.

“Ever since we launched the programme, the word and the news really got out about what’s happening here. I’ve had tons of phone calls and messages from parents who are now trying to get their child to be a part of this programme as well, particularly because a number them as well are unemployed so they are out there trying to find jobs. Single parents who may be working a little side hustle. They can’t leave their three children home who are all under the age five.”

He is now appealing to the private sector to partner with this type of initiative. The programme is in the process of opening a second location.

Felicia Carey, dean of the Bain Town Virtual School Graycliff Campus, said there are four or five volunteer teachers who will be on rotation for the rest of the school year. She said the students love the learning environment.

“They love the fact they have access to the devices,” she said. “They love the fact that even though maybe there might be some challenges with the Ministry of Education programme, they’re still able to come in a learning environment and still learn.

“They have been responding very well. They actually don’t want to go home. They want to come every day. It’s sad that we can’t accommodate them every day, but on the days that they’re here on rotation they have an amazing time.”