From next Monday – Vaxxed & unvaxxed Forms 4-6 students return to schools

EDUCATION Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly announced on Wednesday that come next Monday (October 25), all students in forms 4-6 are required to attend physical classes at school regardless of their covid19 vaccine status.

Consequently, she said at a press conference at her ministry's office in Port of Spain, all online classes for all form 4-6 students will end next Monday.

Students in forms 1-3 will remain at home and can make use of the online learning platform but come January, these students too – regardless of their vaccination status – will also be required to return to physical classes at school.

For the time being, ECCE centres, primary schools and tertiary level teaching classes will continue to operate remotely at this time.

The rationale behind this major decision, Gadsby-Dolly said, was the trend in falling standards at both the SEA, CSEC and CAPE exams noted during the past 18 months of the covid19 pandemic.

She said these decisions were taken following meetings with TTUTA and "the wider education stakeholders" on October 13 and 14, to discuss the current physical operations of schools, along with proposed changes for the immediate future.

AT A GLANCE

* All students of Forms 4-6 or equivalent, regardless of vaccination status, are required to attend school physically for teaching classes, practicals and school-based assessments from Monday 25th October, 2021.

* Schools are not required to provide online classes or synchronous sessions for students of Forms 4-6 or equivalent in lieu of student attendance at physical classes. All students are expected to attend school physically.

* Schools are required to place special focus on the completion of practicals and school-based assessments for students of Forms 4-6 at this time.

* Students at Special Schools, along with their support staff, are allowed to attend school physically according to suitable rotational schedules devised by Principals.

* Students of Forms 1-3 or equivalent are required to remain engaged in remote learning. Unless otherwise advised, these students will return to the physical classroom in January, 2022, Term II of Academic Year 2021/22.

* Principals may request permission from the Ministry of Education to have their Forms 1-3 students physically visit the school for orientation exercises during Term I, if required.