A top Ministry of Education official is of the view that the start of the 2020/21 New School Year should receive a mighty thumbs up.
School reopened under new guidelines/protocols relating to the COVID-19 pandemic on September 7, 2020, and Permanent Secretary Chandler Hyacinth says “Generally we got good reports from most of the schools. I visited two schools in the Roseau area. We have reports from other areas, but generally, school went on well. We do have a few challenges but these are not things that we cannot fix”.
According to Hyacinth, necessary changes will be made to the schools at Belleveue Chopin and Campbell.
“Students are excited to go to school and the physical distancing issue is being observed. Belleveue Chopin will be closed for the week as we get desks and other things sorted out while Campbell will have online learning,” Hyacinth stated.
Also expressing satisfaction at the opening of the school year is assistant Chief Education Officer Dr. Jeffery Blaize.
“We were very happy about the first day…” he indicated, adding, “I think safety is key and the teachers are doing an excellent job, we have seen many pictures of how things are done”.
According to Blaize, the ministry is “very flexible” in ensuring that students access their learning, while schools have to ensure that it is done safely.
Meanwhile, the president of the Dominica Association of Teachers (DAT), Mervin Alexander, says the country continues to navigate the uncharted waters as it relates to the impact of COVID-19.
“It was amazing to see the length that teachers went to support the students and to continue the learning during the lockdown earlier this year” he noted.
Alexander observed that moving to a distance or online learning format was new to so many.
He said that although there was a lack of internet access in some areas, teachers used their phones, spending huge amounts of monies from their pockets purchasing data plans to ensure that they were in contact with their students, “and the learning continues”.
“If anything, this pandemic, has brought into sharp focus, how privileged some students are and how others have been left behind. It has also shown us how important teachers are and how they can succeed during a crisis with the right technology and the system,” Alexander said.
He told the teachers “You are now back in the classroom doing face to face contact with the students, various changes have been made as it regards to policies and operations. Sadly, the Dominica Association of Teachers (DAT) has not yet been officially furnished with a copy of the documents but we want to assure you that any major concerns you may have, do not hesitate to inform us.”
The Teachers Association president said that members of the national executive are hoping to visit as many schools as possible, in order to give support and to observe what is going on at the various schools.
“We urge you to take every possible precaution in executing your duties, and encourage your students to practice preventative behaviour at school,” he stated.
