Redman questions revision of protocols that have minimised COVID spread in schools

The Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU) is not on board with attempts to accommodate more students in the classroom, warning that COVID-19 is affecting an increasing number of the island’s educators.

In a written statement, BSTU President Mary Redman cautioned of growing levels of absenteeism among teachers, linked to the virus, as she urged authorities to revert to the hybrid arrangement that started in February.

“Presently, there have been reports of large numbers of absences of teachers from schools, which, based on our understanding, is related to COVID,” she told Barbados TODAY.

Redman disclosed that principals had also been complaining about the impact of absenteeism on the supervision of students and the enforcement of protocols.

Barbados TODAY was informed that the Barbados Association of Principals of Public Secondary Schools has also approached the Ministry of Education about the challenges.

“The BSTU understands that attempts to accommodate increased numbers of students on campus at some schools have not been very successful because, in adhering to the physical distancing protocol, not all the students can be accommodated in one classroom,” Redman explained.

“The union was told that in some cases, teachers have to move between two classrooms to teach a separated group. In other instances, the overflow from various classes are housed together in other classrooms and often can only be supervised and not taught by the teachers,” she added

The BSTU boss questioned why public health and education officials were seeking to revise the existing protocols, which have been credited with significantly minimising COVID-19 spread in schools.

She said despite improved awareness about the virus and its variants, the union remained “guarded” about the idea of returning all students to the school environment, with positivity rates still around 20 per cent.

Redman noted that in the month of May alone, the country had recorded 2 426 cases of infection among persons under 18 years old.

“The authorities claim that the enforcement of the protocols in the schools has been successful in containing any potential outbreak of COVID in the schools. This strict adherence to COVID protocols in the schools is achieved as a result of pressure placed on teachers to ensure compliance in an environment of a reduced number of students present at the actual plant at any one time. It, therefore, makes that task more achievable,” the union leader explained.

“The BSTU’s contention, therefore, is that if the Ministry of Health and COVID Unit state that what we are doing now in schools is working and we know that only 3 003 persons under 18 became infected between 25 April to 28 May with a return to the hybrid modality, then why should there be a change to what the experts say has been successful?

“The union is strongly recommending that the schools retain the hybrid modality with more easily policed numbers and that, in so doing, we continue to help control general spread. This might more readily facilitate a potential full return of all students to the classroom in September,” the BSTU president added.

Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw recently announced the resumption of general assemblies in school and the removal of quarantine requirements for students and staff exposed to COVID-19.

Prior to those developments, Minister of Education Kay McConney told Barbados TODAY that her Ministry’s intention was to return all students to face-to-face learning in the shortest possible time.

Redman said the BSTU supported the return of assemblies in “open-air” environments and/or well-ventilated auditoriums.

However, the union is “discomfited” by the suggestion that primary contacts can attend school while awaiting the results of PCR tests.

“We were told by MOH [Ministry of Health] officials that Rapid Antigen tests were most efficient when persons have symptoms. A person may, therefore, test negative without symptoms with the antigen test, only to test positive with the PCR test three days later, while having been at school in the interim. The implications are obvious,” Redman declared.

The BSTU president said that in an ideal hybrid environment, students would enjoy the benefit of alternating between face-to-face and online teaching for a more overall effective experience.

“The union is very aware of the valid concerns of everyone with regard to learning loss, but the attempts to address this must be safe, workable, and effective for all involved and this is what all stakeholders must work towards,” Redman concluded. (TD)