Consultations with teachers to go ahead

Despite rumblings from the island’s main teachers’ unions, the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training today declared that all systems are go for meetings at which Minister Santia Bradshaw will discuss with educators, plans for the September 21 start of the new school year.

During a site visit this morning at the Wildey Gymnasium in St Michael, officials from the Ministry as well as Gymnasium staff made sure the venue was ready for the first consultation with secondary school teachers, scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow.

According to a statement from the Barbados Government Information Service, staff took steps to ensure that COVID-19 protocols were in place by making sure seats on the main floor were distanced three feet apart.

Additionally, seats in the stands have been marked to observe physical distancing rules, and those in the stands will be required to sit only in those seats with markers.

Sanitisation stations are also set up at the entrance (nearest to the tennis courts) of the Gymnasium and there will be temperature checks. A projection screen will be in place and microphones will be strategically located for people to pose questions.

Also attending tomorrow’s meeting will be Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Cynthia Forde; Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Dwight Sutherland; and Director of the COVID-19 Monitoring Unit Ronald Chapman.

Minister Bradshaw is also expected to meet with primary school teachers on Wednesday, August 26 at the same venue at 9:30 a.m. as well.

It is anticipated that over 1,000 teachers from primary and secondary schools will attend the consultations on both days. The Gymnasium has the capacity to seat over 1,500 persons.

Education authorities also conducted a site visit today at the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology (SJPI) where the Education Minister will meet with teachers from the island’s 96 nursery schools and 45 special schools on Friday, August 28.

The meeting with nursery school teachers from will be held at SJPI from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., while teachers from special schools will have their consultation from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (BT/BGIS)