Minister urges pupils to turn out on Ash Wednesday

COME to school on Ash Wednesday.

That is the appeal of Education Minister Anthony Garcia to parents, students and teachers.

In a statement the minister reminded parents Ash Wednesday is not a holiday and appealed to parents to ensure there children are at school.

The ministry recalled that in 2019 the student attendance on the first day after the two Carnival days was 19 per cent at secondary schools and 31 per cent at the primary school level.

Teacher attendance for the same period was 82 per cent at primary schools while 76 per cent of the teachers at secondary schools reported for duty.

Garcia observed that signalled teachers are committed and said that level of commitment is needed from parents.

“The Ministry of Education is seeking to enforce discipline in our students. Our schools are a microcosm of society and the same way that the rest of the country returns to normal when Carnival ends, so too must our schools. Therefore, the expectation is that schools inclusive of student populations will return to normal,” Garcia said.