The Tribune

EDUCATION Minister Glenys Hanna Martin said more than 85 percent of teachers showed up to work on Monday “despite being urged to turn off their computers and sit it out”.

Her comment in the House of Assembly yesterday was a likely reference to the Bahamas Union of Teachers’ plan for industrial action before the resumption of face-to-face learning.

She said: “Last Monday, almost 86 percent of teachers went to work nationwide, and in Grand Bahama more than 90 percent showed up despite being urged to ‘turn off their computers and sit it out’. It is clear that our teachers truly recognise what is at stake and are largely committed, like we are, to doing the best we can in less-than-ideal circumstances.

“Yesterday (Tuesday), on only the second day of resumption of face-to-face learning, approximately 94 percent of teachers entered the classroom nationwide with 100 percent of teachers reporting to school in Grand Bahama. The nation is grateful.”

Mrs Hanna Martin reiterated her view that the challenges facing the education system constitute an emergency. She cited a report by UNICEF which concluded that COVID-19 related disruptions have caused a “nearly insurmountable scale of loss to children’s schooling”.

“While the disruptions to learning must end, just reopening schools is not enough. Students need intensive support to recover lost education,” she said, quoting from the report.

“Schools must also go beyond being places of learning to rebuild children’s mental and physical health, social development and nutrition.

“Children have lost basic numeracy and literacy skills. Globally, disruption to education has meant millions of children have significantly missed out on the academic learning they would have acquired if they had been in the classroom, with younger and more marginalised children facing the greatest loss.

“In low and middle-income countries, learning losses to school closures have left up to 70 percent of ten-year-olds unable to read or understand a simple text, up from 53 percent pre-pandemic.”