Virtual school enrolment hits 100 as Jamaican parents seek safer learning options

As worries over student safety and violence in traditional classrooms grow, more Jamaican parents are weighing alternatives such as fully virtual private schooling.

Pedro Hall, principal of the Shara Group of Virtual Schools — formerly El Shalai Homeschool — has worked in the online learning space for six years. He said he saw the need emerging in 2018, and when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in 2020, he recalled thinking, "There we are." The institution launched that year as a fully virtual operation.

Hall explained that although pupils learn from home rather than being taught in person by parents, the model still brings formal schooling into the household. He distinguished it from a conventional school that might simply send lessons home, which is why the group rebranded from LH Homeschools to Shara.

Families register children through the school's website, supply a device, and pupils log on for a full school day across kindergarten, preparatory, and high-school levels. Instruction follows the national curriculum and syllabus, and students sit exams such as PEP at centres near where they live. While day-to-day teaching is online, Hall said learners still take part in activities such as sports days and graduation trips in person.

Enrolment began with about 25 students and has climbed to roughly 100, spread across levels — including about 35 at high school and 30 to 40 in preparatory classes. Hall attributed the uptake to safety concerns and convenience. Class sizes are capped at 15 for high school, 10 for preparatory, and eight for kindergarten, which he said has helped students perform strongly in national exams. Teachers receive training in online delivery to keep pupils engaged.

Fees range from about $40,000 to $75,000 per term for kindergarten and about $8,000 to $15,000 per term for high school. Hall noted that while public schools do not charge fees, Shara operates as a private school with trained, experienced staff.

On social development, Hall said online learners still interact with peers both virtually and in person, citing a grade-six group of about 13 students who visited one another's homes for birthday celebrations. One parent told him that after doubting online schooling, they concluded it was the best fit for their child.

Hall is in his 31st year in education and currently serves as a guidance counsellor at a school in Spanish Town. Prospective families can create a parent account and register a child at lhomeschools.com; a new website and platform under the Shara brand is expected in September. The name Shara combines two Hebrew words meaning prince and princess, reflecting the school's identity as a place for young learners to conduct themselves accordingly.