#BTEditorial – More clarity needed on back to school

“Sitting here in limbo” – Jimmy Cliff

The second term of the academic year 2019-2020 came to an abrupt close as Barbados entered lockdown in the wake of recording our first 24 Covid-19 cases. School did resume for a third term that officially started in early May, although online classes had begun in mid-April when the third term was expected to resume. For that third term, the only children allowed on the compound were those preparing for the Common Entrance Exam at primary schools, and secondary school students doing their Caribbean Examinations Council exams at both ordinary and advanced level.

In the latter case, there was uncertainty as to when those exams would be held, since all of the CXC member states, primarily Jamaica, could not agree on a specific date. Eventually this matter was resolved and the exams were held, but to this date, we have heard no word on the results of those examinations.

Just a week before the start of the new academic year here in Barbados, this is somewhat unacceptable, since not only do students and their parents want to know how they performed, but sixth-form schools and in some cases universities across the world may be awaiting those results so these students can continue their academic pursuits. We are also curious as to whether there will be Barbados Scholarships and Exhibitions awarded this year. if so, kudos must go out to the students who receive these awards because they had to do their final exams under some very unusual and challenging circumstances.

The first day of school is always a major milestone for any child or parent, whether it is the first day in reception class at primary school, first form at secondary school, or the first day in university. Will these newcomers be allowed onto the school compound, or will they have to start school from home? The Ministry of Education has published a 26-page document highlighting how schools are to go about their operations in the midst of Covid-19, but as far as we know, this was done primarily with respect to the limited access granted to the students and teachers preparing for exams. We are still unclear as to whether all students are expected to show up next Monday, and whether these protocols, or indeed new ones, will come into the picture if everyone is allowed back.

There has been talk of ‘staggered hours’, that is, some children coming for morning classes, others in the afternoon, as well as a mixture of online classes and face to face instruction. In terms of the online classes, the Ministry appealed to all and sundry to provide devices for students who may not have been able to afford them, and a host of service clubs, corporate entities and individuals responded to the request. Have any of these devices been distributed to those students said to be in need, or will that be done this term?

The whole question of how classes will be carried out is a very important one, since times have changed since the initial lockdown and curfew period earlier this year. Back then, parents and children were both at home, as in some cases parents had been laid off or were otherwise required to work from home. There were some challenges then in terms of sharing devices where more than one child at different schools and at different levels of school was present in the home, and when parents also had to use the devices for their work.

So, what happens now? Not every family has a grandparent or other retired or unemployed relative who can watch their children while they are at work, and some institutions based on the nature of the work they carry out, such as factories, building sites or restaurants, are not ‘child-friendly’ in terms of a parent bringing the child there to relax or do his or her homework until it is time to go home. The ages of the children involved and the times they are scheduled for school are another issue that must be properly addressed, especially in families with children at both primary and secondary schools.

In the case of a single parent, for example, will an employer look kindly on a mother who may have to take the morning off one day to see after her primary school child, and the afternoon off the next day because her secondary school child is home then? While some secondary school students may be old enough to look after themselves and their younger siblings, will they still be able to concentrate on their schoolwork if they are doing online classes and have to help out the little ones?

These are all legitimate questions that no one as yet seems to have an answer for. We have seen cases in other countries where schools have reopened and promptly closed again because outbreaks of Covid-19 arose; let us hope we do not face a similar situation here. But at the same time, we cannot leave parents ‘sitting in limbo’ waiting to hear exactly how the relevant authorities will proceed with the new academic year. The students’ wellbeing and their parents’ financial stability and other factors depend on it, and we would ask employers to be as accommodating as possible to parents who may face issues relating to their work schedule and their children’s school schedule, so that things can run as smoothly as possible.