Stop holding our students hostage and get them back to the classroom.
This is the clarion call from a growing number of concerned individuals who are petitioning the Government to resume face-to-face learning for the island’s children.
This after the announcement of February 21, 2022 as the tentative date for children to return to the classroom.
A Get Our Children Back to School petition had garnered close to 700 signatures up to Thursday, with parents and concerned individuals outlining various reasons for the children to resume face-to-face classes.
Pointing out that the island’s children matter, one petitioner said “the experts worldwide have stated schools be last to close and first to open”.
“Barbados is going to pay the price for this in the decades to come,” they said.
Anna Hos, who is said to have started the petition some three months ago, said while she was aware the island was facing the COVID-19 pandemic and the health care system was under “serious strain”, parents were anxious about having a concrete plan for the island’s children and their education.
“We, the parents of Barbados, need a road map to get our kids back to school. One online term is enough,” she said.
“The youth of this country are losing valuable education and social skills and there is only silence from our government. Please, can you provide a structure and system to get them back into school in January 2022,” she said when she started the petition.
Hos said: “What is the percentage of kids that need to be vaccinated? We need a structure that schools, principals and parents can work towards. The youth cannot be held hostage for a medical system that cannot cope. Our kids must get back to school. Please provide a rollout plan to achieve this as soon as possible.”
One petitioner cried shame on the government, saying: “the Government of Barbados doesn’t seem to be bothered by the importance of the education of our children. There is no reason to keep the schools closed when just about everything else is open and running normally.”
One petitioner named Kristi Evelyn said that as a doctor she was “horrified at the effect of not being at in-person school on the children of Barbados’ mental, emotional and physical health”.
Evelyn warned that the island could suffer dearly if schools were not reopened.
“It should have been first on our government’s agenda. Come on Prime Minister [Mia Mottley] and Minister [of Education] Santia Bradshaw, Barbados is better than this. This island will pay the price for this for decades to come. Haste is needed!” she insisted.
Some supporters of the reopening of schools also expressed concern about the impact the current online teaching was having on some children, given that they did not have even the minimum tools required to help them cope.
“Most children are suffering with online school. Many don’t have devices or good Wi-Fi,” said one petitioner.
Some complained that it was unfair for schools to be closed while bars and other businesses were operating.
“It is unacceptable for restaurants, bars and shopping centres to be open while schools must remain closed,” said one of the signatories to the petition, which is seeking to garner 1,000 signatures.
“We appeal as parents to the government of Barbados to reopen schools . . . . Schools should be the last to shut down and the first to reopen in this pandemic, according to the UN. Please make this right, please reopen schools,” she said while expressing concern about the impact the closure of school could have on productivity and the mental and physical health of children.
During the BLP’s final political meeting on Tuesday, ahead of Wednesday’s general election, Bradshaw indicated that the return to face-to-face learning will be phased, suggesting that the increase in COVID-19 cases was responsible for the delay to schools reopening.
“The reality is that we have to play it safe. We are watching what is happening and we are committed to February 21 being the date that we start to put things in motion for the safe return of our children back into the classroom,” said Bradshaw. (MM)
