Hanover church opens doors to students to access lessons
Published:Saturday | November 14, 2020 | 12:05 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
The Hopewell Missionary Church in Hanover has opened its doors to students in the western parish who have been unable to log on to classes online due to Internet connectivity issues, offering them free access to its Wi-Fi network and the church hall.
“The church doors are now open all day from Mondays to Fridays, specifically to allow students from Hopewell and its adjoining districts to be able to log on to their classes and participate in their daily school operations,” the Reverend Ronald Webster told The Gleaner.
Students in Hanover have been severely affected in trying to access lessons forced online due to COVID-19 restrictions, with an estimated 50 per cent of them not being reached by their teachers.
Several individuals and organisations have been trying to bridge the gap by donating equipment, buying data plans, allowing students to use their home facilities, and in the case of the church, offer access and Internet service.
According to Webster, his church had previously partnered with the Bethel Primary and Junior High, Merlene Ottey High, and other schools in the vicinity with other projects.
“The fact that challenges now exist with accessing school via Internet, and so on, we felt that as a church, we had to respond to that,” he pointed out. “It’s part of our outreach in the community. We feel that if we are in the community, we must participate.”
He added: “We now realise that there are some children who need gadgets … there are some persons who are indicating that they want to contribute to buying smartphones and tablets, so hopefully, by next week, we should be able to start helping one or two of them.
“We are trying our best as a church to see how we can assist with getting our children in Hanover into education. The number of students not being reached at this point in time does not augur well for the future of the parish,” added Webster, who is urging other churches to do what they can to assist the students.
Webster said that the church would be strict in its adherence to the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ safety protocols ,and, as such, would only accommodate about 20 to 25 students. However, should there be a greater need, he is prepared to open the main sanctuary, which can comfortably accommodate an additional 60 students.