The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

EDUCATION Minister Jeffrey Lloyd said officials are now targeting February 22 for the resumption of in-person classes in public schools on islands still engaging in virtual learning.

“Our position is that we have to do it as a phased opening,” he said outside the House of Assembly yesterday.

“Some schools are going to be ready earlier than others, some as early as next week might be, some later and that’s on a number of factors, faculty, readiness in terms of the environment as well as the repairs of the school.”

Officials previously targeted February 1 to resume in-person classes in New Providence, Abaco, Exuma and Eleuthera but scratched those plans after health officials requested they outline the protocols to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

In-person classes ended in March last year because of the pandemic. Public school students on the aforementioned islands have been restricted to virtual lessons ever since while others resumed face to face classes last October.

Mr Lloyd expressed concern last year that 30 percent of registered students are not regularly participating in virtual classes.

He said: “Our estimation is that 70 percent are already in school on a regular, daily. That 30 percent bothers us and as (the director) indicated, it’s our responsibility to find the opportunity. No question about that but at the same time, the children have a responsibility. “This is their education, and the parents have a responsibility. This is their children’s education, so we all have to adopt a responsible attitude and mindset about education.

“The children want to be in school and we’re working now with the Ministry of Health in trying to find the way that we can safely – because safety is first – bring our children back to school as quickly as possible, observing all of the protocols whether it’s physical distancing, wearing masks and so on. We believe that that is something that is imminent.”

He suggested that larger institutions like Doris Johnson Senior High School and CV Bethel Senior High School will not be able to accommodate all students at one time so a hybrid system may be used.