TTUTA Tobago worried about readiness of schools

TTUTA Tobago officer Bradon Roberts has welcomed the Ministry of Education’s decision to allow all vaccinated and unvaccinated secondary school students to return to physical classes, some as early as Monday.

However, Roberts said he is concerned about the abruptness of the decision and the level of preparedness that might be required to get schools ready to receive students.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly announced that vaccinated and unvaccinated students in forms four, five and six are to return to school from Monday, but those in forms one to three will resume physical classes in January.

Roberts said he was taken aback by the minister’s "attitude" at the conference.

“For me, what is more concerning is the attitude of the minister. I don’t know that just coming out today (Wednesday) and saying that in three (working) days schools will be opened is sufficient. These schools and principals will have to put things in place for Monday,” he told Newsday.

For instance, Roberts said Scarborough Secondary School does not have a functioning water pump.

“If water goes in the pipe, they have to close school. So, there are things in schools to fix. I don’t know that those things were sorted out.”

He believes the THA Division of Education, Innovation and Energy was not aware of the ministry’s decision to allow all secondary school students to return to school.

“I strongly believe that the division heard about this in the media and, as in many things, they playing catch up.”

Nevertheless, Roberts said TTUTA is happy that “a modality has been put in place that eases the chaos.

“But, I am just concerned about the way it is being done and I am hoping that, especially in Tobago, the division and the principals are able to restructure their school in such a way to accommodate the students.

“It is something I will have to monitor over the days and hope that the schools have their stuff sorted out because there will be an increase now in the uses of tissue, soap. Those things have to be in place and I am hoping that they have those things in stock so that it will just be to distribute to the schools and they are not being caught off-guard.”

Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) deputy political leader Farley Augustine said the party also welcomes the move to allow all secondary school students back to school.

Describing the approach as “sensible,” he recalled PDP leader Watson Duke had proposed the idea on a political platform two weeks ago.

“More than that, we have a commitment more than two weeks ago that should we win, we will proceed to allow all our students to attend school. There is zero practicality in the current policy,” Augustine told Newsday via Whatsapp.

Augustine said the science has shown that children across the globe have been withstanding the virus in a more positive way that adults.

“We also have vaccinated and unvaccinated teachers teaching vaccinated students within the school system. So, we might as well just have the students attend school and observe the protocols as much as possible.”

He reasoned that more thought and action is needed to treat with primary school pupils and pre-schoolers.

“But for now, let us get our secondary school students back into the classroom.”