Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author(s) do not represent the official position of Barbados TODAY.
by C. Gill
On Tuesday, January 16th, Minister of Education Santia Bradshaw announced to a packed crowd that the promised return to school on January 24th would have to be further delayed until February 21st due to the rise in COVID cases on the island.
Minister Bradshaw said this is because her ministry is committed to making sure that our children return to safe environments.
This stance would be commendable and respected if only it wasn’t completely contrary to everything else that is happening in our island. Just look at the crowds that were in attendance at political meetings pre-elections and those at the victory celebrations after the results were returned.
The crowds on the outskirts of the Garrison watching the horse racing on Errol Barrow Day and most recently, the fans at Kensington Oval, the majority of whom were maskless throughout the day as they danced and sang and shouted support for the teams.
Add to this the crowds at bars and restaurants, both of which have been teeming with locals and visitors alike for weeks now. Where the patrons are without masks for the majority of the evening because they are eating or drinking – sometimes for more hours than remain in the shortened school day.
Are we to understand that none of the persons patronising these events or places are family members of students and therefore there is no risk of covid being contracted and taken into households from every other areas of life in Barbados? That we are only going to be putting our kids at risk by allowing them to return to their classrooms.
Classrooms with a maximum of 32 students usually. Classrooms where they will be required to keep on their masks at all times and to which entry is allowed only after temperatures are taken and hands are sanitised.
Classrooms where they remain seated and talking is seldom done by anyone other than the teacher? Every other area of life in Barbados has already returned to or is returning to pre-covid normal with the exception that mask-wearing is mandatory, even if it is not being enforced.
Parents, aunties, grannies, siblings and the students themselves use public transport regularly, visit supermarkets, malls, churches, beaches, rum shops, gyms and restaurants and yet the only place we see as one we need to keep our children safe from is school?
The unions are conducting a survey of teachers to gather their views on a return to work. Why doesn’t the Ministry conduct a survey of us, the parents, to determine our views on the return to an education for our children? I am sure the answers from the majority of us would be the same. Our children are safer in schools.
Safer from the risk of mental health issues, safer from the risk of obesity through inactivity, safer from substance abuse, safer from long-term social anxiety, safer from dropping out of school.
Around the world millions of children have remained in or returned to school safely, why then can’t we manage it here in Barbados where we boast of being one of the only islands to have safety monitors in our schools? Why is everywhere except the classroom safe?
