Open schools online: Catholic Archbishop wants classes to resume

NO child will be left behind.

Archbishop Jason Gordon said this is the mantra behind the Catholic School Board’s plans to use digital media to resume classes on April 20, even though schools remain physically closed amid the covid19 pandemic.

“How do we ensure all our students receive teaching on a regular basis? We are working with the Ministry of Education on the platforms they have developed. We have spoken with our principals and some of our teachers. We have already figured out which technologies are available for continuing classes in April,” Gordon told Sunday Newsday.

The decision is so far being welcomed by the TT Unified Teachers’ Association and the Education Ministry. The ministry will meet with Gordon on Tuesday to further discuss the plan.

On March 13, Government closed all schools during the second term until April 20 which was the start date of the third term after Easter holidays. The measure was meant to reduce the risk of the spread of the virus. The re-opening was again deferred to April 30 as Government extended the stay-at-home restrictions to prevent the potential spread of the virus.

The Catholic board is, however, moving forward with measures to ensure students complete their curriculum.

Gordon said teachers will use WhatsApp and other social media tools along with other forms of technological outreach to teach children. Television and weekly printed work sheets will also be sent to students who do not have access to the internet and social media platforms.

“We have teachers working around each one of these modes of delivery and we are developing a plan so that every child in our school will be able to continue learning as long as the school remains closed,” Gordon said referring to the more than 30,000 children in over 100 primary and secondary schools under the authority of the Catholic board.

Education Minister Anthony Garcia said the Catholic board’s plan will be discussed at a meeting on Tuesday but he already foresees the benefits of executing it.

“Any plan that will give our students the opportunity of accessing education must be of benefit to the greater education system. That is why we are meeting, our major objective is to ensure that our children are not left behind.”

Gordon said the cost of the new initiative was not yet worked out as the plan was only drafted two weeks ago.

“What is clear to me is that as soon as classes resume there is a way for every child to be in a classroom of some form or fashion. We had half the children being taught and half not being taught in the last two weeks of the last term. That was just because we did not have a plan in place for recovery. The ministry has had a plan and has been working feverishly on it. They have been doing a lot of work.” TTUTA president Antonia De Freitas said the initiative is commendable adding that even when schools closed in March, some teachers were still facilitating learning by meeting with the classes either in small personal sessions – before the order to stop all gatherings of more than five people – or through Facebook and WhatsApp. The plan, she said, will impact only Catholic school teachers.

Asked about resistance by some teachers who will have to learn how to teach classes through the proposed methods, De Freitas said: “There may be some issues and we can discuss them with those who are so concerned, but it is strictly voluntary. I know that teachers are ready to hit the ground and get back into classrooms be it virtual or otherwise.”

“By and large our Catholic teachers support the initiative. Once we have particular initiatives rolled out and we can ensure equity of all students and no one will be disadvantaged and it does not encroach on anyone’s rights and terms and conditions of employment, because at this time, I stress, it is voluntary, all teachers will be willing to support and they have indicated such.”

De Freitas said educating teachers on how to use the technology was currently being done during the Easter vacation on a voluntary basis. If instructions are done during the opening of the new school term, any possible hiccups, she stated, will have to be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

Gordon said the plan is long-term so that if schools are to remain closed until the start of the new school year in September, there is already a measure for training so all teachers will be able to reach their students. The aim, he said, is to share the plan across all school districts – not only Catholic institutions – with the assistance of the Education Ministry.

“We want to ensure that our plans are in harmony with the ministry, then we will meet with the denominational boards and work with all the denominational boards to ensure all schools have access to the same platforms to make this happen. Until there is a vaccine and until school opens we have to make sure that every child in the country has access to learning.”