MINISTER of Education Glenys Hanna Martin. Photo: Moise Amisial
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
EDUCATION Minister Glenys Hanna Martin stressed the importance of both parents and the government ensuring school-age students attend school.
Yesterday marked the commencement of the training workshop for the newly appointed attendance officers in the Ministry of Education.
The programme consisted of 25 new officers in New Providence; officers will be posted in Grand Bahama and other islands shortly.
With the compulsory age of education being five to 16 years old, Ms Hanna Martin urged parents to ensure students attend school.
“It is a legal obligation under the Education Act that children of compulsory age attend school. Parents have no discretion to cause for their compulsory school aged children — ages five to 16 — to not attend school.
“Children must attend school and parents must assure that their children attend and under the Education Act the minister has a duty to ensure that parents comply. Failure to carry out this duty is accompanied by a criminal sanction.”
The education minister also encouraged parents to become active participants in the education of their children.
“I am encouraging our nation’s parents to become more active participants in the education of their children, attend PTA meetings if you can, communicate with your children so you can have full understanding of the process and develop respectful and collaborative relationships with their teachers and school administration,” she said.
Despite active repairs on several school campuses, the minister is confident that school repairs will be completed in time for the reopening of schools on August 29.
Last Friday, Belinda Wilson, president of the Bahamas Union of Teachers, said she is not confident that school repairs will be completed in time for the upcoming school year.
“I am not confident that all the repairs will be done,” Ms Wilson said. “Every year I do my own school repairs tour and look at what is happening. We already visited T A Thompson, which is doing massive work, but I must say, the contractor, he has a large number of workers that are there, and they are working around the clock.
“Hopefully they will have the classrooms, the restrooms – which will be the main areas for the students and teachers ready.”
Comments
tribanon 2 years, 2 months ago
Same frightening photo. LMAO
bahamianson 2 years, 2 months ago
And the schools should ensure that the students learn
carltonr61 2 years, 2 months ago
It is a pity that the crucial three week period before the opening of schools Education messages were banned as covid people did not read the CDC memo to sit small. Too little too late to anchor student, parent and school as one body. The power of WHO to have mentained covid fear here in The Bahamad alone amongst the whole world shows that there is a monetized bottomless pit among health professionals and shares profit greed over societal and educational normalcy.
JokeyJack 2 years, 2 months ago
So parents MUST send their children to suffocate in masks and be secretly injected with syringes? Government putting together a Gestapo Force to ensure this happens? Why are world leaders wanting to kill our children?
ScubaSteve 2 years, 2 months ago
"suffocate in masks?" No one has suffocated from wearing a mask. My wife is a doctor and has worn one all day every day for the past 14 years. Also, "secretly injected?" How are children secretly being injected?
sheeprunner12 2 years, 2 months ago
Twenty first century parents have defaulted to buying tablets, cellphones and laptops as the new parenting strategy.
Teachers cannot replace parents. Schools cannot replace homes.
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