Parent group wants school re-opening delayed

The advocacy group that was instrumental in pushing for reviews of Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) grades during the height of the pandemic almost two years ago is calling for the full resumption of face-to-face learning to be delayed by at least two weeks.

Paula-Anne Moore, the parent advocate and coordinator of the Group of Concerned Parents and the Caribbean Coalition for Exam Redress, said the COVID-19 positivity rate was still too high and there were concerns about the infection rate among individuals under 18 years.

“Barbados’ current daily positive numbers are three times the numbers of Jamaica, and the same or more than Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, which clearly are far larger populations. Under 18-year-olds average 20 per cent of that. And that is what is officially reported. Our positivity rate has averaged 25 per cent for some time,” she said.

Moore said while she sympathised with children for the social, mental and emotional challenges and the widening of the learning gap as a result of being outside of the classroom, the importance of preserving life must also be considered.

“Death is permanent, and serious long-term illness is sometimes impossible to recover from.”

Moore said she believed children should return to face-to-face learning when it was safe to do so.

“I am sorry I cannot support Barbados reopening for face-to-face school at this time. Not in the middle of a huge, likely underreported, Omicron surge,” said Moore.

Ministry of Education officials have set February 21  for the resumption of in-person learning, with several protocols in place. And following a meeting of teachers and their union representatives on Tuesday, that resumption date seemed unlikely to change despite lingering concerns over safety by the unions.

However, Moore said “In my opinion, which counts for little, due to our current surge we should give two further weeks, check the COVID-19 infection numbers, and, based on prevailing transmission rates, reopen face-to-face in a phased manner with first the school exit exam cohorts, with two weeks between the next set of groups, for any adjustments needed.”

While questioning whether the medical fraternity was on board with the date and measures currently in place for the full resumption of schools, Moore said she was aware the current online method of learning was “stable” and it helped to limit the “public transmission” that comes with the face-to-face school.

She also noted that experiences from some regional states should serve as a cautionary tale to local authorities about how disruptive it could be when schools have to keep closing or teachers are absent from classes due to them contracting the COVID-19 virus.

The parent advocate also questioned why there has not been more public comments from education stakeholders on the almost impossible task of expecting students and teachers to complete CXC, CSEC and CAPE syllabi with little significant change by CXC to account for pandemic-related challenges in this third academic year.

“To expect students to sit 2022 exams at the standard dates in the current pandemic context is beyond unreasonable and cruel,” said Moore.

“The science of public health decision-making, fairness and engagement of education stakeholders, must be the foundation upon which our school reopening and exam decisions are made within the pandemic environment,” said Moore.

Between August and September 2020, the Group of Concerned Parents and Caribbean Coalition for Exam Redress turned up the pressure on local and regional authorities for a review of the CXC results for that year. The group also pressed for an overhaul of the grading process in the way it was governed. The CXC results were eventually reviewed.

Late last year, then Minister of Education Santia Bradshaw also called for the examination body to review its governance structure and review its curriculum where necessary, taking into consideration the pandemic. (MM)