[UPDATED] Minister: Forms 1-3 students to return to school in 2 weeks

Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly said students of Forms 1 to 3 who are vaccinated will be allowed to return to physical school in the next two weeks if all goes well.

She made the statement during her contribution to the budget debate on Friday.

She called on parents to have their children vaccinated and send them back to school, as this was best for them.

Gadsby-Dolly said the focus of the ministry was to prioritise the reopening of physical schools and allow children to return safely.

She said approximately 19,000 children enter the school system annually, with approximately 12,000 graduating from secondary school without basic qualifications. She said the covid19 pandemic contributed to this learning loss and a widening achievement gap.

She said the allocation given to her ministry would be used to continue to distribute electronic devices to teachers and students, create an educational technology unit to enhance the current learning system, and for an education management system and other initiatives.

She said teachers were trained in collaboration with international organisations.

“Considerable effort has been made to train our teachers, with 12,294 or 93 per cent of our teachers...trained in at least one online delivery course from March 2020.”

She said at least 15 consultations had been held with stakeholders since August 2020 on school operations, with seven between July and September 2021 on physical school reopening.

“We met three times with TTUTA – July 13, August 12, September 14 – four meetings with the wider stakeholder bodies – July 12, 14, 16, August 13, September 16. It is important for us to meet to get the recommendations, to understand what the stakeholders are saying and on the basis of that to make policy.

"But make no mistake, the final decision-making process must lie with the government, because we have been mandated by the people to make these decisions.”

She said the ministry had been looking at modern education for all under eight different areas.

“The Education Act amendment; human resource development and human resource systems development; equity in quality education and schools; curriculum reform and how we review our curriculum to support holistic development; technical and vocational education and training (TVET) revitalisation and the importance of TVET to develop creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation; digital transformation; the ease of transition through the levels of the education system, including SEA; and, ensuring student success.”

She said $645 million was allocated for GATE, HELP, scholarships and bursaries.

Further consultuation would take place with the general population, she said, about what it wanted included in the education system, including the teaching of Spanish and sign language at the primary school level, compulsory community service in the arts, sports and community development; and the use of e-books and e-testing.

Tabaquite MP Anita Haynes, in her response, said even though consultations had taken place, this did not mean the stakeholders were satisfied. She said curriculum reform had not been sufficiently incorporated in the process going forward.

This story was originally published with the title
"Forms 1-3 students to return to school in 2 weeks " and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly said students of Forms 1-3 who are vaccinated will be allowed to return to physical school in the next two weeks, if all goes well.

She made these statements during her contribution to the budget debate on Friday.

She called on parents to have their children vaccinated and send them back to school, as this was best for them.