Nearly six months after the crippling COVID-19 pandemic forced classrooms shut, students from across Barbados returned to school campuses today in the customary bright, new uniforms and shiny shoes with masks covering most of the faces and staying a safe distance from their fellow school mates.
The focus was on sanitizing, social distancing and staggering hours, as thousands of children returned to the classroom for the start of a 2020-2021 school year, in a COVID-19 environment.
Today, at several primary and secondary schools the implementation of the health and safety protocols was high on the agenda. From as early as 8 a.m., there were lines at the gates as students awaited their turn to have their temperature checked and be sanitized before entering the premises.
In most cases, parents were not allowed to go on the compound, and resorted to saying goodbye to their charges from outside.
Barbados TODAY was permitted to enter several classrooms where students were wearing masks and were sitting suitably distanced from each other.
The principals at these institutions reported that the day’s proceedings got off to a fairly smooth start with few minor adjustments being made. Some indicated that now they have a better idea of what to expect, they are now better able to fine-tune the arrangements.
With COVID-19 still a threat, this school term there will see a blended approach to learning being implemented with online and face-to-face teaching sessions.
Principal at Wesley Hall Junior, Herbert Gittens, said he was satisfied that all protocols were being followed at the institution where students will be attending classes on different days in the week from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Gittens said there will be ongoing sanitizing throughout the day.
“We will be doing our staggering for lunch and for dismissal in the evenings. Obviously, it is a work in progress, this is the test of it starting from today and throughout the week and we will continue to monitor and make any necessary changes to effect the running of the operation at Wesley Hall Juniors,” Gittens said.
At that City school, classes three and four will attend classes while Tuesdays and Thursdays are reserved for classes one and two. Alternately, the students will be engaged in online classes on the days they are not at school in person.
“I had a meeting last week where I updated the parents on exactly what we are doing and I explained to them how we are going to be running our operation here at Wesley Hall,” Gittens explained.
“What I got is that one or two persons didn’t attend the meeting. We have 450 students at the school and I had close to 300 people at the online meeting. So over the weekend my phone was going crazy and people were still asking questions,” Gittens said.
Only the Class 3 and 4 students were at George Lamming Primary where Principal Grace Wickham also reported a smooth start. Wickham said the classes have been divided into two with face-to-face teaching taking place from Monday to Thursday, and the entire school population going online on Friday.
“The classes 3 and 4 will come every day, Monday to Thursday from 8:45a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to give us time for staggering of break time, lunch time and dismissal. Everybody is glad to be back at school, the teachers and the ancillary staff are working very hard to get things organized for the children.
“So we are excited to have them back and to see how things will go because we have been away from each other for six months so we are looking forward to interacting again, though not in the usual way. They came in with their masks, social distancing, everybody sanitized and their parents gave them things to bring,” Wickham said.
Principal at Parkinson Memorial Ian Holder also reported that he was pleased with how the first day of the term started. Holder explained that Parkinson’s management has taken the decision that junior students will go to school in the morning and seniors will attend in the afternoon, with the classes divided into two.
Holder said students were sensitized about the importance of keeping their masks on, but are being allowed to take them off for a break at different times.
“Everything was executed as planned and everything went smoothly and I am really happy to be back out with the students and to have the opportunity to provide that much needed education and guidance in a face-to-face way.
“There are going to be a few tweaks to the plans as we observe any difficulties that come up. We are going to try to adjust the system to make sure that we can accommodate our students or parents who have issues,” Holder said.
The Acting Principal of Springer Memorial Mitchell Maxwell said that she has seen a positive response to the school’s plans for teaching and learning in the COVID-19 environment. She said all stakeholders are fully engaged and onboard with the school’s model, implemented to ensure that the plant remains a safe zone for students and staff.
Maxwell said teachers used a significant amount of time reiterating the importance of respecting the national protocols and guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education.
“Our first formers remain online with their enrichment programmes as we also strengthen our orientation section for our first years. Students are being briefed on the protocols and what is expected, as we seek to ensure that all persons who use this campus remain safe and healthy in this environment.
“From today we would have had our second, third, fourth and fifths and we await now our upper sixth and our sixth formers because they are awaiting CXC and CAPE results,” Maxwell said.
Barbados TODAY spoke to several parents who noted that they were satisfied with the COVID-19 protocols put in place. Many of them said they would use this week to observe the adjustments to the schools’ operations, including their children only going to their respective institutions on assigned days and participating in online learning on other days.
“I’m just waiting to see how this all plays out. But for right now I am good with what I see the school doing. I could see that the ministry and the schools put a lot of planning into bringing our children back to school with this COVID-19 thing still here,” parents Anthony Johnson said.
anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb
