The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

THE Ministry of Education is racing to re-open schools on hurricane-battered islands in a bid to circumvent the death of those small Family Island communities, Education Director Lionel Sands said yesterday.

As of last week, seven students reported to the ministry for relocation, according to Mr Sands, who told The Tribune that the number was likely to be higher as families may have gone directly to schools for placement.

Mr Sands noted that teachers on Crooked Island and Acklins have requested to stay on the devastated islands to assist with restoration efforts and provide services for students that have been unable to relocate.

Officials hope to open schools on those two islands with some degree of normalcy shortly after the mid-term break, which ends on October 26.

Mr Sands noted that schools impacted on Long Island were on track to open before the start of the two-day break.

Yesterday, Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner said many parents on the island do not want to relocate their children, for fear the change would further traumatize them.

“One of the things I’m cognizant of is there has been the displacement of families, children in particular, since the devastation,” she told The Tribune. “What we see manifested is post traumatic stress disorder going on. Some people have taken their kids away from the dreariness of the environment. Ultimately, my observation and communications show me that people do not wish for their kids to be relocated even for a short period of time because that would exacerbate what they are (going through).

“For kids learning especially, a sense of normalcy and familiarity is necessary.” Mrs Butler-Turner expressed confidence that students would be able to attend a school on the island within a matter of weeks, noting that supplies have been donated and efforts are underway to reopen schools.

Once schools are reopened, Mr Sands said the choice to return to the islands would be up to parents and guardians.

“It’s totally up to their families,” he said, “parents and guardians. We can’t demand that they go back.

“The greatest concern for us is not to help to cause communities to die, meaning when students are taken out of the communities, especially small ones like these, they tend to die and we would not wish for that to happen. So we’re moving so quickly for schools to reopen because we don’t want the death of these small communities.”

Last week, the ministry sent out an advisory for parents of students from affected islands, asking them to enrol students as quickly as possible in alternate schools to minimize the interruption of their education.

Yesterday, Joel Lewis, deputy director for school management, explained that all schools have been instructed to accommodate students that show up from storm-ravaged islands.

Mr Lewis said: “The schools have been instructed that once persons show up from an island to make the transition as seamless as possible. Most of the problem is that they’ve lost all (their) uniforms and books and they would need some assistance. So Social Services is dealing with that, anything in terms of food vouchers, uniforms, and materials.”

Students returned to school in Cat Island last week, and schools in Mayaguana and San Salvador reopened this week.

Long Island principals are expected to meet with teachers and support staff today to discuss the re-opening of schools post Hurricane Joaquin.

A press statement sent out yesterday, read: “Considering the communication challenges and the displacement of residents, parents are asked to contact the principal of their child’s school before Thursday, October 15, for information concerning the re-opening of schools.

“Once principals have met with their staff, a specific date for schools re-opening will be issued to parents and the community.”

A team of technical officers and counsellors, headed by District Superintendent Lillian Culmer-Miller, will provide counselling for students and parents, the statement added.

Hurricane Joaquin battered the central and southern Bahamas for two days last week, on October 1 and 2.