The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

MINISTER of Education Jeff Lloyd has responded to union assertions that teachers were blindsided by Monday's announcement of a delay to the start of the school year.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Mr Lloyd said while teachers have been a part of the ministry's discussions on how to approach education during the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation is a "fluid" one.

On Tuesday, Bahamas Union of Teachers President Belinda Wilson told The Tribune she was blindsided by the announcement of an October 5 school start date. She added that her executive team had many questions about the Ministry of Education's draft plan that were not answered.

"What was obtained last week, week before last based again on what the competent authority's and health officials say, we have to make adjustments and as soon as those adjustments are confirmed and our internal assessment (is ready) we share them with our stakeholders for their feedback," Mr Lloyd said when asked for a response.

"We must go through what we must go through and the Ministry of Education in order to ensure we are ready and then we can participate with the wider community to say what is required, this is what we are being advised by the heath authority or this is what is being ordered by competent authority. This is what we are considering, what do you think and they have an opportunity to come back. This is a dynamic situation - it's fluid."

Meanwhile, Bahamas Educators Managerial Union President Stephen McPhee said his members are awaiting instructions and directives of how to carry out the relevant procedures when schools reopen.

He is concerned about Grand Bahama being allowed to reopen with face-to-face learning right away. He questioned the data behind allowing the island, which has the second largest number of COVID-19 cases, to carry out this learning method next month.

"Grand Bahama is actually competing with New Providence for cases and so to the extent that I'm hearing that Grand Bahama can open up face-to-face and I'm seeing some other places that don't even have the same concern is going visual," Mr McPhee said.

"COVID-19 is honestly going to decide what happens at the end of the day and based on what we see unless there is a major miracle by God we expect that there going to be changes as we all recognise it's fluid. We don't see the data that supports any face-to-face for any island, especially Grand Bahama given coming out of Dorian and given the challenges there.

"We intend to engage the employer with some sort of dialogue concerning greater explanation and the data that is supporting that Grand Bahama and one of the two other islands and others can open face-to-face," the union leader said.

For his part, Mr Lloyd said an administrators conference was held this week while a teachers conclave is set for next week. He said teachers will be given support on how to instruct in a virtual environment and help on how to administer their courses in this new era.