STATE Minister for Educational and Technical and Vocational Training Zane Lightbourne. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
STATE Minister for Education and Technical and Vocational Training Zane Lightbourne said up to 30 percent of public school students have not been attending classes consistently, adding the ministry hopes face-to-face learning will resume full-time by the end of the year.
He said some 15,000 out of 50,000 students have “not been consistently identified on the system” as attending online classes.
“We’re working very closely with the Ministry of Health who would determine (when face-to-face classes will resume),” he said yesterday.
“The tour of the islands that the minister of health has been doing, we’ve accompanied him. I myself have done some of the southern islands and we are determining that very soon. Hopefully as soon as we see the health situation sorted out we’re going to resume face to face. I’m very hopeful (that will happen before the end of the year).”
Public schools across the country opened this school year with a virtual learning format due to an increase in COVID-19 cases.
“I know the parents of the children are very concerned because face-to-face is our go-to, that is the way that we can capture all of the students that we know have been missing in the system for the last two years, year-and-a-half, so we want to really get this going as soon as possible but we want it to be safe, safety first,” Mr Lightbourne said.
He added that officials are examining the effectiveness of the learning platform used in schools. Teachers have complained about the platform in the past.
Mr Lightbourne said: “I had a meeting with some of the powers that be in that area making sure the system can sustain at least for the end of the term because it would be problematic if we tried to switch the system in the middle of the semester for students.”
Comments
licks2 3 years, 1 month ago
Maybe this new government can get MOE under control.
The last government got most of its "black eyes" from having a "lost and incompetent" MOE ran by an misfit who only got there through his political connections. . .likely to stay there because of his connection to this government!!
Nothing will ever change with the current direction. MOE has always displyed gross incompetence, immaturity as a professional, female-like pettiness, childlike disregard for rules and regulations and a giant size ignorance of among lead staff in their craft!!
I know that this "food store list" of traits of the current direction can only be "made up" about the lead persons and is fake news. . .or that leadership is toxic and out of his/her competence level in a serious and detromental way!!
Let me say that I don't work with them. . .but nobody I talk with in that administration "sees" the leadership as suited for its job. . .even its "flunkies" think its "bad" news!!
One union president said: "that leadership caused minnis in the election because they did not rid themselves of that dead weight"!! I hope that PM Davis will think about the country's best interest and not keeping this broken direction just because its family are "big PLPs"!!
John 3 years, 1 month ago
There may be several reasons for children not attending online classes. Firstly, like many adults, children are suffering from Corona fatigue and just lost interest in online schooling. Some children live in homes that lost at least one family member to the virus and they are in a state of delusion. Education is not a priority for them. Other reasons may be that online learning is too difficult for them and so they stay away, rather than getting lost again. Other reasons may be financial. Some homes do not have the devices to go online or the internet data or even electricity. Other students find themselves having to work to help keep a roof over their heads or food on the table.
licks2 3 years, 1 month ago
Maybe you need to be "appointed" to that ministry. . .at lease you can think through some "issues" that students ARE having and possible make decisions with those issues in mind!!
But I have found that the "biggest" reason why most children "dont come to class" online is that the "jack-up" platform don't allow them to logon. . .and they simply get "virtual school" fatigue and say: "man. . .to hell with this junk".
I blame mostly Doc for that stupid mess over there for two reasons, besides the 'retarded" virtual platform they are using! One. . .minnis never listened to the complaint of education workers, parents or other experts! Secondly, minister Lloyd and the current Director of education are a toxic combination for such a delicate department!! One "cant listen to anybody but himself and the other is too incompetent to find his ear!!
The private school sytem had little to no problems with their virtual schools. . .using a Bahamian company!!
Finally, the "whole" problem of "virtual" absenteeism contain a little of all the reasons you gave above. . .but the primary problem is the FNM government and its "hands-off" dealing with department of education administration. . .including its minister!! I hope the new PM will take the last of the "monkey" off the backs of the bahamian education system. The parents and public did what doc failed to do for so long. . .they removed Llyoyd themselves. . .the rest is up to the PLP now!! Word to the wise!!!!
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