As schools go, Stephen James Basic School is one of the best constructed institutions you’ll see anywhere in Jamaica. It’s a fairly new building, spacious and large, though the play area in the centre of the buildings is relatively small. The schools has a long history going back to the mid-1970s, 1974 in fact when Enid Higgins started the school on lands given by Stephen James, then Baptist minister. She had been holding classes on her verandah before that.Six years ago, a brand new school was built through the initiative of the Ministry of Education with assistance of JSIF. The school has six classrooms, a multipurpose hall, computer room and kitchen.Each classroom has two bathrooms, one for boys and the other for the girls. The principal since 2010 is Shortwood College-trained Samantha Sewell Elvin who is responsible for the 150 students on roll and seven teachers. Her goal is to make the school one of the best in the island. “My overall goal is to ensure that the children are ready for the next level of education and that none is left behind,” said Mrs Sewell-Elvin.Her task is made easier by the fact that all students have computer tablets, provided under the Tablets in Schools programme.Among the teachers is Shawn Blair, who is responsible for the four-year olds and is delighted that the students have tablets. Mr Blair says that without doubt there is enhanced learning because of the availability and use by students of the tablets. He and other teachers say they do not allow all day use of the tablets but the electronic items are integrated into the programmes of the school. Students have been instructed to use them well. On a tour of the school, the North Coast Times saw students using the tablets individually as well as in groups.The grounds of the school are well appointed and there are several exhortations and words of wisdom on various signposts –“Remember to be loving kind and honest”, “Blessed are the peacemakers”, “Talk it out don’t fight it out” are some of the sentiments.One of the teachers, Margiana Kerr says there is great social interaction among the teachers.
