The safe return to physical classrooms possibly for the Hilary term in the New Year has the full attention of the Ministry of Education and most certainly, weary students, worried teachers and concerned parents.
Last week, the issue was at the centre of talks between Minister of Education Santia Bradshaw and UNICEF’s Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Jean Gough.
The two officials, agreed, like most of us, that the lack of faceto-face instruction owing to the COVID-19 pandemic has seriously affected students at the primary and secondary levels.
Bradshaw gave an assurance that her ministry is working towards the reopening of schools by January 2022.
We are aware of the thin line that education authorities have to walk in the light of the daily reports of new infections that on average top more than 300. We get that being guided by the health authorities will be paramount.
COVID-19 has no doubt been wreaking havoc on the best-laid plans. And a return to classrooms will require that all parties involved fairly assess and plan for the resumption of face-to-face instruction, laying all the issues on the table to build a consensus on the way forward.
But our children, who have been struggling to settle down with online schooling over the last few months, deserve more in the new year.
Most of us will readily admit that a safe return to the classroom remains the best option and is overdue.
The reasons are sound. Besides the vexing issues of connectivity, the inadequate number of devices and the lack of supervision in the home, teachers are grappling with de facto truancy. There is a worrying number of students on the road during school hours.
When students actually make it to classes, their focus and attention are short-lived as they struggle to grasp concepts and their grades are falling.
A comprehensive study conducted by UNICEF between November 2020 and February 2021 in eight Eastern Caribbean countries including Barbados of nearly 3,000 students, 554 teachers and 728 parents revealed sound support for face-to-face learning.
The survey said: “Most children – 77 per cent at the primary level and 68 per cent at the secondary level – said they felt safe attending face-to-face classes.
Echoing their students’ experience, teachers at both levels favoured in-person lessons, with only a quarter preferring the virtual version. 68 per cent said their students were struggling in the online environment. The secondary school teachers, especially, reported that there were too many distractions at home which impacted on their students’ ability to focus.”
Dr Aloys Kamuragiye, UNICEF Representative for the Eastern Caribbean, said the study reinforced the importance of reopening schools safely.
“I have said this before, and it bears repeating: governments need to make the safe reopening of schools a top priority,” he maintained.
“Without it, many of our children will be disadvantaged in ways critical to their development, learning, mental health, nutrition and their right to protection and equal opportunities.”
It is clear that a return to school will offer a range of benefits.
There is no doubt, however, that the decision must be properly thought out and clear criteria outlined.
So far, hundreds of students have taken advantage of the Pfizer vaccine which medical experts assure provides a much-needed line of defence. In the coming weeks, it is hoped that more parents, educators and other workers on school compounds will get vaccinated.
So, with a few short weeks left in the Michaelmas term and then the New Year, education authorities should sooner rather than later outline the plan to facilitate a smooth return to classrooms.
We want to know whether the return to classes will be split, or be a hybrid of physical and online instruction. Will all students be allowed to return five days a week or will younger ones be given preference over the older ones? There will also be a need for a strong protocol in place to ensure schools are able to adequately respond to inevitable cases of COVID- 19 that are likely to arise.
Thought should also be given to a possible pilot involving some schools and students to give the authorities an idea of how ready key players are to return to classes.
Whatever the final approach, the current state of affairs cannot continue indefinitely. Experts have already warned that the learning deficits will be significant.
Now, then is not the time for the grandstanding of special interest groups, knee-jerk, know-nothing reactions, emotionalism and needless inflexibility.
We cannot continue to treat a virus with options, negotiations, politics and posturing. The very future of our nascent republic is on the line.
