Gadsby-Dolly: Principals decide on masks, uniforms

Minister of Education Nyan Gadsby-Dolly. - Ayanna Kinsale
Minister of Education Nyan Gadsby-Dolly. - Ayanna Kinsale

Education Minister Nyan Gadsby-Dolly says her ministry has no policy or provision on the sale or provision of masks by schools to students.

She said decisions about school uniforms are handled at the level of the principal.

Dr Gadsby-Dolly was responding to a question from Oropouche MP Dr Roodal Moonilal in the House of Representatives on Friday. She said the ministry’s guidelines on the reopening of schools mandated that masks be worn.

“Mask-wearing is the law in Trinidad and Tobago and all citizens are expected to comply.

"With respect to uniformity, it has been a longstanding practice of some schools to mandate uniformity in different areas, for example the types of blazers and jackets worn by students. These are specific and operational matters handled at the school level by a principal.

"The ministry has not mandated the sale or provision of any masks at schools.:

In response to a question from St Augustine MP Khadijah Ameen about whether the ministry is willing to examine and bring in a policy which would prevent schools from making it mandatory by students to buy msks to conform with uniforms, the minister said the issue of masks and the types of masks worn by students is dealt with at school level.

“Different schools have different cultures. Some schools mandate that even the jackets you wear – back in my day even the type of sneaker you wore –was mandated by the principal of the school, to keep the culture of the school and the uniformity.

"So therefore it is not the MoE’s position that a principal should be mandated to provide masks, sell masks, or in any case restrict the level of uniformity that is the culture of the school.”

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"Gadsby-Dolly: Principals decide on masks, uniforms"

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