Haynes: Covid19 concerns over learning spaces

 With covid19 cases on the rise, Tabaquite MP Anita Haynes has called on the Government to ensure that safety is maintained within the educational institutions.

In a statement on Friday, she said there have been concerns surrounding the safety of learning spaces including in-person classes and examinations.

She referred to the outcry from the engineering students at UWI's St Augustine campus who had been told that their end-of-semester exams would be held in a physical format.

The students expressed that given increased cases, they are concerned with the safety risks to themselves and their families.

Haynes said safety must be the top priority as the country seeks to move forward.

"I am calling on the Ministry of Education to intercede on behalf of students suddenly facing in-person examinations. Unlike the CSEC and CAPE examinations gone before, there is the opportunity here to act before it’s too late and prevent undue burdens being placed on all involved," she said.

Haynes urged the ministry to address the public's concerns saying, “Many students, parents and teachers still feel ignored and forsaken. School administrators are still grappling with the technological inequities that affect their ability to execute their mandate as well as students’ access to education.”

“We must not lose out on the opportunities for innovation and progress that are before us now by reverting too quickly to the previous status quo,” she said.