Return to school a relief for principals

President of the Association of Principals of Public Secondary Schools of Trinidad and Tobago (APPSSTT) Sherra Carrington-James has said principals are relieved that all students forms 4-6 have returned to school.

On October 20, Minister of Education Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly announced that all upper school students, whether they have been vaccinated or not, must return to the physical classroom. Students returned to class on Monday.

“This week turned out to be a relief for principals,” she said, adding that schools have followed the ministries mandate to end online classes for upper school students as they are all expected to return to school.

“Having that single mode of delivery has been a tremendous relied in terms of managing (classes).”

On Monday, Gadsby-Dolly said 59.3 per cent of the expected school population turned out to schools. She said students are required by law to come to school and the ministry will investigate, where necessary, students who are reported to have been absent for extended periods of time.

She said, “With the help of (The Ministry of) Social Development for financial support where necessary, and the community police to locate parents that Student Support Services cannot, it is not usual to reach that far. The goal isn't to lock up parents, it is to provide the necessary support to get our children in school.”

Carrington-James said schools have indeed lost some students. “Some have not responded. It seems as though they have discontinued.”

She said the ministry is overwhelmed in dealing with locating students. She said if a child is not showing up, the school will try to reach out to their parents.

“If there is no headway, then we refer it to the ministry, and they take it from there. They will follow up with social workers etc. In some cases, it’s the parents who are not responding, or have changed their numbers.

“(The ministry) is just overwhelmed. It takes too long to resolve some of these cases (but) once we refer it, it is the responsibility of the ministry.”

She said students are thrilled to be out to school, in most cases. Regarding the possible return of lower school (forms 1-3) students in January, she said she would hope by then the covid19 virus is managed to facilitate that. “Whatever direction we are given at that time, we will go with it.”