Education ministry reaching out to retired teachers, graduates

In the face of opposition to the ‘Bounce Back’ summer programme, the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training has extended its appeal for assistance to “all educators”, including those who are not currently in the system.

Late Tuesday evening, the ministry revealed that in an effort to engage students who have lost critical learning time due to the pandemic, both current and retired teachers as well as Erdiston College Graduates would now be encouraged to sign up. They are being asked to do so as early as Friday.

The statement added that along with supplementary classes planned for Class 4 students in preparation for the Common Entrance Exam, the additional work is needed throughout the primary school system.

“The Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training recognises that all students would have been affected by the lack of face-to-face instruction since there was a need to move to online instruction and also blended instruction last academic year and again this academic year,” the ministry’s statement explained.

“The poor performance of Class 4 students in the National Assessment in May highlighted to all that there will be deficits in many areas at all class levels.

“There is therefore also a need to engage students of Infants A to Class 3 at the primary level in additional classes for at least three weeks after July 9, 2021. To this end, the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training is organising a summer programme, termed Bounce Back Summer School for Primary students,” the correspondence added.

According to the release, classes for Infants A and B will commence from July 12th to 30th and Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 students from August 9 to 27. It also added an online portal for interested teachers to apply.

The Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT), the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU), the Association of Public Primary School Principals (APPSP) and the Barbados Association of Principals of Public Secondary Schools (BAPPSS) have all said ‘no’ to a request for teaching during the summer period.

On Monday, Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) president, Pedro Shepherd declared that the programme is inconsistent with teachers’ terms and conditions of employment, but more importantly, that educators needed the break after months of gruelling online and in-person teaching.   

“Teachers have been going since March last year. When COVID came, teachers went straight into preparing for the G suite (computer teaching application) during the Easter vacation, so they did not have Easter vacation and from then, they have been going, going, going,” Shepherd contended.

“Teaching online is twice as hard or three times as hard as physical teaching, although people might not recognise it… In terms of preparation, there have been numerous challenges with the technology and that is not easy… And we know that the ministry has now stopped term’s leave, so teachers aren’t even getting a chance to have that term’s leave to recuperate,” he further complained. (kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb)