BSTU seeks ‘more consultation’ as authorities decide on return to face-to-face instruction

The Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU) has serious concerns about a “rushed” return to in-person classes, as education officials contemplate the possibilities as the country continues to grapple with its deadliest wave of COVID-19.

In an interview with Barbados TODAY, president of the trade union, Mary-anne Redman declared that far too many variables still exist, many of which are beyond the power of education officials for the foreseeable future.

“The fact is that we are in an environment that does not allow us to be using a face-to face modality at this time and there are many considerations that will have to come into play before a safe return to face-to-face classes is possible, given our realities as they exist with Delta,” Redman told Barbados TODAY

“We are not dealing with the original SARS-CoV-2 or the Alpha variant. We are dealing with Delta, that is far more infectious, that is more likely to create severe disease and put persons in hospital, with increased deaths and to which a far larger number of young people are susceptible than the other two variants that we would have previously been exposed to.”

“We cannot see, as it stands, that we can rush and put children back into a face-to-face environment, so they can complete school in the prescribed timeframe, because that is not the safest way to do it,” the BSTU president maintained.

Over the weekend, Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw declared that with the COVID-19 situation still uncertain, the Ministry of Education would consider both face-to-face and a blended approach to the next school term, which starts on January 10th.

Among the union leader’s concerns are the relatively low student vaccination numbers, high infection rates in children under 18 years old and the fact that the five schools being used as temporary isolation facilities are still at near capacity.

On the issue of vaccination, Ms Redman declared that the Ministry of Health’s requirement of at least 70 per cent of eligible students and staff ought to be strictly adhered to, and applied to each learning institution individually.

“It can’t apply across the school population or the teaching population because you may have one school with a high percentage of staff and pupils vaccinated and another with a comparatively low percentage,” the union leader contended.

“As it stands now, we have just about 10,000 students out of 21,000 at the secondary level who would be eligible for these vaccinations that have in fact been vaccinated. That is less than half of the general school population,” she lamented.

Ms Redman also noted the absence of a plan for supervision of public transportation which would have to accommodate thousands of students, and which could contribute to infection spread. She also questioned a lack of COVID-19 school monitors for secondary schools, where students are generally less compliant to protocols. She further underscored the need for more stringent sanitisation in schools and consideration of the installation of perspex barriers on desks along with a need for frequent random testing of persons on school plants.

Furthermore, she pointed to concerns expressed by the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Director for Europe, Hans Kluse, who linked the present increasing cases in England and Europe to the resumption of face-to-face classes.

“If we look at Europe and the US, they are operating in circumstances where they have resources, many more resources than we have, to deal with upsurges… and they operate in circumstances where in the schools themselves, they have better safety protocols in place like the perspex barriers and even then, you are still seeing an uptick in cases because of Delta,” Redman argued.

She added: “We are seeing similar patterns now in Trinidad and Tobago where they have seen a recent upsurge again since children have gone back from fourth to six forms. And there was a recent newspaper article stating that there were three children in Trinidad in ICU.”

According to Barbados’ latest COVID-19 statistics, 991 infected people are in isolation facilities and another 7,437 in home isolation.

Noting that the Delta variant is 50 times more infectious than the Alpha variant, which is 50 times more infectious than the original COVID-19 virus, Ms Redman lamented that the situation may have been considerably worse if schools were open during this time.

On a positive note, BSTU members have become more confident, flexible and creative with online delivery of education and children have become more adept to using the virtual learning platforms, Redman revealed.

She said: “Teachers are doing virtual field trips with the children. They are doing virtual labs and there is a lot of material being generated among teachers and departments in schools that will augur well for the future, because whenever we get back to a full face-to-face environment, the teachers will be able to infuse technology more readily in their classrooms, having had this online experience.”

The longtime union president admitted that absenteeism among students, particularly at the senior secondary level and neglect of homework assignments, is still a serious concern.

Ms Redman added that difficult home environments, along with access to devices, electricity and Internet connectivity, are also making educators’ jobs more difficult.

Ultimately, she pressed for meetings between key stakeholders and ministry officials to determine the safest and most effective way to resume face-to-face classes and address lingering deficits plaguing students.
kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb