The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

EDUCATION Minister Jeffrey Lloyd said he is committed to doing whatever it takes to bring back face-to-face learning in the country’s public education system by this September.

Mr Lloyd, who spoke with journalists outside of the Cabinet Office yesterday, said once he receives the word from health authorities in the country, he will make it happen.

“If we do what the health measures are asking us to do, we can get out of this pandemic very quickly and if there is one group of people who will benefit immensely, it’s our students to be back in face-to-face learning. Whatever is necessary under the guidance of the health authorities, we are certainly going to execute,” Mr Lloyd said.

“Naturally we know it’s best for students to learn on a face-to-face (basis) and so the virtual is the second best alternative. . .not the best. Of course it affects those students, the younger ones in particular.”

Earlier this month, education officials announced public schools will return to virtual learning on May 25 to reduce the chance of COVID-19 spreading as students take national exams.

Mr Lloyd was quizzed on what his ministry intends to do about students who were challenged last year with virtual learning and remain in the same situation this year. Some have suggested these students may need to repeat a grade.

“We are every day reviewing how we best can assist those students who may have suffered in any form or fashion as a result of the pandemic,” Mr Lloyd said. “There have been some who have not yet gained a benefit of education because of a variety of reasons.

“As we know there are thousands of them who don’t have a device or don’t have internet or both and as a consequence they would have not had access to school like we would have wanted them to. On the case of repeating, of course we are looking at how we may be able to adjust whatever responses we need to make to them, but understand we only have a limited space.

“When we start talking about repeating, we have other considerations that we have to make in order to accommodate that and space and resources are a significant consideration in that respect. However, may I also say that teachers and the school system have been working to make up as possible those students who may have had some challenges by providing afternoon tutorials, weekend support, online support and so on.”

Mr Lloyd also took exception to criticism made by PLP Yamacraw candidate, Zane Lightbourne who took the Ministry of Education to task over its handling of COVID pandemic as it pertained to virtual learning, etc. Mr Lightbourne was a guest on a local radio show.

“I am disappointed in some comments I have heard recently on a radio (station) here in the capital when an officer of the ministry, Mr Zane Lightbourne who is a member of the Bahamas Educators Managers Union, criticised the ministry claiming that this is amongst the worst times in the history of the education in The Bahamas,” Mr Lloyd said.

“It’s really unfortunate. I like Mr Lightbourne. During Dorian and its after effects, he led the ministry’s team in doing an outstanding job in placing those who were dislocated as a result of Dorian. He spearheaded the effort that was exercised at the National Stadium involving a consortium of government agencies and ministries… an outstanding job Mr Lightbourne did.

“He knows the work that this ministry is doing in the execution of our responsibility as a government for education and he was a part of that. So for him to make those statements it’s just flat out dishonest. He knows that is not true. Secondly, we hear comments about the conditions of human resources with regards to reclassifications and so on that have come from persons who should know better.”

Minister Lloyd said those who are criticising the ministry know that authorities there have inherited significant issues involving human resources, but nevertheless have done a tremendous job in settling a lot of those issues.

“We have a ways to go, absolutely… admittedly … but we have done well,” he said. “They have admitted that we have done well in that respect. Again, there is a way to go, but I think it’s unfair and it’s dishonest because they know better.

“It is really regrettable that it comes from those quarters. We respect and admire and thank the contribution that the union and our partners make to the advancement of education in this country. I am deeply grateful to them and appreciative of what they do, but I think it’s only fair that we should be honest and to be fair to the Bahamian people and to the Ministry of Education. This administration and this education administration met issues in place that we have resolved and are resolving. I think that we deserve a measure of credit for that.”