MINISTER of Education Priya Manickchand on Thursday announced that schools will remain closed in September.
The decision, the minister said, was arrived at following widespread consultations with the relevant authorities on the delivery of the curriculum for the Christmas Term amid the current coronavirus outbreak.

“There was little to no decisive and or coordinated approach in delivering education and doing so safely… Actions that were needed in the months schools were closed were not taken in their entirety, or at all. This is our reality. We therefore cannot reopen schools on September 7, 2020 as was previously scheduled,” Minister Manickchand said.

She said that in order for schools to be reopened, they will need to have on hand an adequate supply of masks for both students and teachers, as well as hand-washing facilities among other vital necessities.

As such, she said all schools will remain closed, as the authorities work on reviewing and evaluating the situation, with a view to eventually resolving it.
She said she is well aware that teachers have kept in constant touch with their students throughout the ‘lockdown’ period, and would advise that they continue doing so while the Ministry of Education works towards a versatile approach to the delivery of education. This, she said, is expected to be done through the likes of the learning programmes available on the State-owned Learning Channel, and the development of Online programmes and printed learning packages.
In closing, the minister assured the public that they will be kept abreast of whatever decisions are taken, and that officials are working around-the-clock to develop a safety protocol for schools across the country, so that it can be implemented whenever they are reopened.

The Ministry of Education, under the guidance of the previous administration, had closed schools since March 16, after the country recorded its first COVID-19 case on March 11. The closure was initially effective until April 3, which would’ve marked the end of the Easter school term, leading straight into the two-week Easter vacation. As such, students and teachers were expected to return to school for scheduled reopening on April 20, but the period was later extended to a date unknown.

Some countries are projecting that their schools will remain closed at least for the rest of the year, as is the case in the United States. Closer to home, sister CARICOM country, Trinidad and Tobago, does not foresee their schools opening their doors before September. In Jamaica, schools were initially closed until April 22, but the authorities there are also expected to shortly pronounce on the way forward for their schools.