No clear guidelines for school reopening

AN impromptu poll taken by Social Services and Public Administration Joint Select Committee (JSC) chairman Paul Richards with a group of education stakeholders showed none had received clear guidelines about the reopening of schools in September.

During a virtual meeting of the JSC on Friday, Richards asked the stakeholders to raise their hands if any had received proper guidelines on covid19 regulations to be implemented in schools for the new term.

He reported that none of the participants raised their hands.

Catholic Education Board CEO Sharon Mangroo said the board has not received guidelines from the ministry on reopening, use of personal protective equipment (PPE) or holding CAPE and CSEC examinations in July.

ASJA Board of Education general secretary Affieza Ogeer said her board was in the same situation.

"We are trying to put things in place."

Association of Principals of Public Secondary Schools president Ronald Mootoo said the association received some broad guidelines about covid19 measures to be implemented in September.

He said these included placing desks six feet apart, one-way traffic in corridors and no assembling by water troughs.

Mootoo said principals were being asked to submit a list to the ministry of what they would need to implement these measures.

Support Autism TT founder Dr Radica Mahase and Down Syndrome Family Network's Lisa Ghany were concerned about how guidelines for reopening schools could affect children with special needs. Ghany said consideration must be given to children who are visually impaired, hearing-impaired and wheelchair-bound in crafting the covid19 guidelines for reopening.

Mahase agreed, saying an entire population of children "are being totally excluded."

Concerns were also raised during the meeting about children being able to access online education during the pandemic.

National Primary Schools Principals’ Association president Lance Mottley said there are challenges providing students and teachers with laptops. Internet access was also a problem.

He suggested Government consider letting the Education Ministry use channels 9 and 14 to provide educational programmes for students who cannot access electronic devices or the internet.

D'Abadie/O'Meara MP Ancil Antoine told participants, "There is a cost to covid19."

He asked whether this is a cost the Government should bear alone.

Richards said while Government should bear some of the cost, the financial burden should be spread across the board.

With online learning becoming more relevant in a world where covid19 is a part of the landscape, Richards said there should be a conversation about the ability to lead online learning being part of teachers' skill sets.