The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

AS students prepare to return to the classrooms later this month, Education Minister Jeff Lloyd said public schools on some islands will re-open under a hybrid model, while others will feature face-to-face instruction.

He said education officials are being guided by the Ministry of Health on the reopening of schools.

“We have three models of learning, teaching: hybrid, virtual, of course, and face-to-face,” Mr Lloyd said yesterday.

“Everyone knows that face-to-face is the ideal and that’s what we want to strive for, but I also said, and I continue to repeat, that we are always guided by... and directed by the Ministry of Health, the Department of Public Health officials so we’ve been in constant communication with them.

“We are ready to go. On August 30, schools will start. Some islands, some schools (will be) face-to-face. You know them already, the MICAL community essentially, Long Island and a few others.”

However, for public schools in New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco and parts of Eleuthera and Andros, Mr Lloyd said students will be engaged in the hybrid learning model, which involves a mix of face-to-face and virtual learning.

The education minister said this particular learning method will also apply for private institutions.

He said: “In the urban centres and obviously, we’re talking about New Providence, Grand Bahama and Abaco, parts of Eleuthera and Andros, they are going to go hybrid, almost hybrid.

“Now, this does not simply go for the public schools. This is for all schools because, of course, as you know, as the minister of health and the Ministry of Education, we’re responsible for education in the system and the Ministry of Health and the Department of Health officials have stipulated that this is the way education is going to roll out 2021/22 across the system.

“So, unless you can maintain seven feet to 12 feet of square foot space then the child is going to have to be in a virtual space and that’s the stipulation. For us, there are some schools that would mean 40 percent of the students or 60 percent of the students or even some schools, 70 percent of the students, because they have the space that of course we will be rolling out on August 30.”

Mr Lloyd said more details on the re-opening of schools will be announced by educational officials in the days ahead.

“The director will give more specific information as the week goes on – which schools will be hybrid and which schools will be face-to-face but you could pretty much expect that all schools are going to be hybrid or face-to-face,” Mr Lloyd stressed yesterday.

“Now unless, parents decide they want their child to be virtual for any number of reasons, not comfortable for this and so on and that’s the parents’ choice.”

In-person classes ended in March 2020 due to the pandemic, but were reopened after the summer break last October.

However, schools in New Providence, Abaco, Eleuthera and Exuma were only teaching virtually until given the go-ahead to begin phased face-to-face learning under a hybrid model in February.

In May, officials announced all public schools would return to virtual learning once again after cases started to climb again.

Yesterday, Mr Lloyd also sent a plea for parents to get their children to get vaccinated against COVID-19 now that doses of the Pfizer vaccine are currently in the country.

Children aged 12 and older are allowed to take the Pfizer vaccine once they receive approval from their parents or guardian.

“I strongly encourage parents to permit their children to take these vaccines,” Mr Lloyd told reporters.

“Do please remember that no child can enter the public school system without vaccinations, so parents are very familiar with vaccinations... so if you want to get out of this and get back to what you consider to be normal, get vaccinated.”

The Minnis administration has repeatedly said it will not make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory.