In a recent Facebook post, former Education Minister Myron V Walwyn shared his thoughts on the resuming of in class sessions across the territory.
The announcement that schools are now allowed to resume in class sessions with safety measures in place came on Friday September 18th, 2020, just a few days after the official reopening of the 2020-2021 academic school year. The official statement stated:
“One such decision was to instruct the Attorney General’s Chambers to amend the Suppression Order No. 6 to allow private schools, daycare centres, pre-schools and colleges to open for in-school instruction where approved, following inspection by the Social Monitoring Task Force and the Ministry of Education, and in compliance with the Social Distancing Protocols of six feet and sanitization measures,”
It was further announced, “In regards to public schools, these institutions will be opened in phases. At the moment only the following groups will be allowed for in person instructions. Technical education students; Students with special needs; and Marginalised students and adult education students, as specified and approved by the Chief Education Officer.”
In response to the recent announcement Walwyn said in the Facbeook post,
“I am very pleased to see that a decision has been taken to start face to face instructions in the classroom.
There however needs to be one comprehensive plan developed spanning pre-opening procedures, in-school procedures, procedures if a student or teacher contracts covid etc. and it should be followed across the board by all institutions whether public or private.
It should also be made a public document so that parents and all stakeholders are as confident as possible that students and teachers are safe. It also provides a measuring stick for compliance by the various institutions.”