CASTRIES, St. Lucia – The St. Lucian government has defended its decision to allow for the phased return to the physical classroom Monday saying it is necessary for children to be back in the environment better suited to learning.
(Image from National Geographic Kids)“There are some in our midst who are of the view that we should not be opening up for physical classes at this juncture- that assertion is wrong. Our decision to reopen is rooted in careful analysis of the situation in country by the competent authority,” Education Minister, Shawn Edward, said in a broadcast on Sunday night.
St. Lucia, like many Caribbean countries, had suspended physical classroom sessions as part of the efforts by the region to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19 that has killed 184 people and infected 12,426 others here since March last year.
In a statement, Monday, the Ministry of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training said that after much consultation with stakeholders and guidance from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, a decision has been taken to reopen schools, in the physical setting on a phased basis.
“Key grade levels will resume in this first instance and include Kindergarten, Grade Six (6) and Forms Four (4) and Five (5). The reopening of special education schools has been postponed and a pronouncement on the new date will be made in the coming week,” it said in the statement.
It added that the School Feeding Program and Transportation Subsidy Program will also resume on Monday and reiterated the importance of following the guidelines set out by schools and the protocols instituted by the Ministry of Health and Wellness.
“Please be reminded that any spike in COVID-19 cases may result in another closure of schools, and so the Ministry again makes an appeal to parents, guardians, students and the wider community to continue to comply with the protocols and guidelines to ensure that our students are not further disadvantaged,” the ministry said.
“To date, a total of 36,585 individuals have received the first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and 31,242 have received the second dose. A total of 13,534 individuals have received the first dose and 8,306 individuals have received the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine,” the ministry added.
In his broadcast, Edward said he could not over emphasize the commitment to safeguarding the health and safety of all students, teachers, and staff and reiterated the need for all involved to ensure that the protocols in the Education Continuity Plan are maintained.
But he acknowledged that there would be challenges in the reintegration of students across the board.
“The situation at hand calls for us to be calm yet focused. We will not be deterred, neither shall we cower from the tough decisions to be made for the good of this country and ultimately for the benefit of our children,” Edward said.
Edward said the consensus among educators is that face-to-face schooling allows for more constructive engagement between students and teachers.
“We are therefore pleased that conditions are more favorable to allow some of the critical grade levels, namely kindergarten, Grade Six, Form Four, and Form Five, to return,” he said, adding it cannot be business as usual.
“Let us be creative and innovative and not let our guard down as we week to ensure that our nation’s children are not further disadvantaged,” Edward said, noting the challenges parents face while urging them to be patient and steadfast in supporting their children in whatever modalities the youngsters are engaged.
“It is anticipated that during this academic year, we will provide between seven and 10, 000 devices to teachers and students in the school system.” Edward said, adding that the Ministry would continue to strengthen other system components, including improved and more equitable access to WiFi broadband and training for re-tooling and up-scaling educators.
