Education ministry says private schools must comply with directives

rivate schools have been given the green light to reopen on Wednesday, while public schools remain closed, after at least one private institution resumed classes on Tuesday in defiance of a government order.

Wills Primary reopened a day after Hurricane Beryl’s passage, prompting a stern response from the Ministry of Education which said all schools must follow the rules.

Barbados TODAY has learnt that at least one other private primary school in St Michael also opened on Tuesday, although Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw said she was unaware of any other schools defying the closure order.

The closure announced by the ministry on Monday evening was implemented – in the wake of the hurricane and ahead of another tropical disturbance on Beryl’s trail – as many public schools serve as hurricane shelters.

Dr Archer-Bradshaw made an unscheduled visit to Wills Primary to address the situation on Tuesday. She emphasised that private schools must adhere to ministry directives.

“It must be made clear to all schools that the Ministry of Education is responsible for all schools that are registered under the Ministry of Education, and so must be governed by those laws, and must be governed by those regulations unless otherwise stated,” she told reporters.

She revealed that aspects of the legislation are being reviewed to prevent similar incidents in future.

“Going forward, there is a need to clarify certain aspects of the legislation, and that is being worked upon as a part of education transformation,” the education chief said.

The school’s decision to open had sparked debate among parents and guardians. One grandparent of a Wills Primary pupil expressed disagreement with the ministry’s intervention, arguing that if the school was deemed safe, classes should have proceeded.

“If the hurricane has passed, and there is no structural damage, as you can see here at Wills, then why is it that the school could not be opened?” the grandparent questioned. “We have been blessed that the hurricane did not hit us, but people are really upset and really annoyed by this because we see nothing wrong with the school opening today.”

The guardian also highlighted the inconvenience caused to families: “Furthermore, it’s going to take them two days to determine if schools will be opened, what do people do with their children then? It’s a major inconvenience.”

When questioned about the possibility of schools reopening before the week’s end, Dr Archer-Bradshaw remained cautious, citing an approaching weather system.

“We know that there is another system coming and we are preparing ourselves for that. We are in communication with the DEM [Department of Emergency Management] and the Meteorological Service to determine the actions that should be taken relative to school for the remainder of the week,” she explained.

In a statement released on Tuesday night, the ministry said following the damage assessment which it conducted earlier in the day, and a meeting with private school principals, a decision was taken that “students at all private schools will return to the classroom providing that their schools can facilitate teaching and learning in a safe environment”.

It added that all public schools will remain closed to rectify issues identified during the damage assessment.

shamarblunt@barbadostoday.bb