Teachers want to maintain some COVID-19 restrictions in school

The Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) and the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU) want to hold onto some of the COVID-19 protocols when the new school year begins next month.

Their call has come just as Government announced that the three-foot rule is to be abandoned from next Monday suggesting that there would no longer be the distance restriction in the school setting.

On Friday, while delivering remarks at a press conference to mark the arrival of pediatric Pfizer vaccines, Minister of Health Ian Gooding-Edghill announced that effective Monday 29th, the three-feet physical distancing rule would no longer apply.

However, the presidents of both unions told Barbados TODAY in separate interviews that it was important to ensure that schools remained a safe learning environment and as such, it was necessary to have some protocols enforced.

They said that they were yet to be consulted by the Ministry of Education about the method of teaching for the upcoming school year but this was one of the points they intend to discuss.

“We are hopeful that the meetings will start soon. Obviously we don’t want to wait until the last minute to then be scrambling to put things in place. So we are hoping the Ministry of Education would convene for a meeting as soon as possible so we can discuss what we will be doing going forward, if there will be a blended system, if we would be returning to the 3 p.m. time to finish school and the protocols,” said president of the BUT Rudy Lovell.

“We are mindful that the interaction between a teacher and a class is one to 20-plus children so we will want to ensure that protocols are still in place to facilitate the resumption. Teachers interact with about 50-60 people per day so regardless of if the protocols are relaxed on the outside, in terms of the wider society, we will still want to have hand sanitisation and mask-wearing to reduce the spread of COVID-19 within the school compound if any cases arise. We don’t want to take any chances.”

President of the BSTU Mary Redman said that once the ministry met with the teachers’ union, the ministry’s propositions would be discussed internally and then a position would be presented to the ministry.

She said that while Government continued to ease the COVID-19 restrictions, the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners “is always being very careful and cautious”.

“We think that caution is necessary at this point in time,” Redman added.

Following a presentation of science kits to scores of children in the National Summer Camp programme held also on Friday, Minister of Education Kay McConney said that the ministry was yet to determine the method of teaching for the upcoming school year.

She said that once talks were held with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders in the education sector, an announcement would be made.

“Right now we are having discussions on what is the best approach with the Ministry of Health and Wellness as well as our other educational partners. We are in decision-making mode. We are gathering the information and we are making sure that we have the conversations we need to have with our education partners before we are able to announce that at this time,” she said.

“But all is looking good, we are getting the plants ready. We are making sure that the teachers are ready and the principals are getting their schools and their administration ready so all signals are go. How exactly will it be done? As soon as we settle those discussions with the Ministry of Health and our education partners we will be able to give you a more definitive answer.”

The minister added that 26 schools received repairs during the summer repair programme, noting that she was informed that most schools should be ready in time for classes to begin.

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb