SEVERAL teachers who oversee students preparing to write the 2021 Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) examinations, have officially written to the Ministry of Education (MoE) seeking permission to return to schools.

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand said the appeals are actively being considered.
This latest development was among a number of issues that were discussed during a meeting on Friday between the MoE and the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), where it was also brought up that teachers in several regions have actually already begun turning out to the schools.

“Scores of teachers have requested from us permission to go back into the classroom with their CXC class to do SBAs, and finish their CXC syllabus. When they first started telling me that the teachers are asking for this, I said please come to me with that in writing before we start talking, so we have it in writing,” Minister Manickchand related in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle.

“We are actively considering the requests, vis-à-vis us making the schools a little bit more ready for COVID safety, for example ensuring that hand-washing facilities are in place, signage are in place, and that masks are available to be provided to students and teachers,” she said.

The minister said the situation of the teachers returning to the schools without official permission is putting the ministry in a tight spot, so the decision is being considered to make it official, so as to ensure that the teachers are going about the return in line with COVID-19 safety measures.

“I learnt today that some schools, for the older classes, are even going to school and didn’t even bother waiting on us, because they have to get their SBAs out. It therefore may be more useful for us to announce that CXC classes can go back to school, but that’s not a Priya decision, bearing in mind a whole host of different things,” Minister Manickchand noted.
She further related that: “Region Two is back in schools; Region Nine are back in school. In Region Three, some teachers are back in the school, so we have to respond not only to what we say, but to what people want. And if people believe that this is something that they can do safely, then this is something that we have to look at.”
The minister noted that while the partial re-opening is being considered for the CXC levels, the ministry has not had any discussions on a similar reopening for the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) classes at the primary school level.

MUST UNDERSTAND THE RISKS
GTU President, Mark Lyte has confirmed that he is also aware that teachers have been lobbying to return to the schools, and while it is not a position that the Union supports, all it can do is hope that the teachers are cautious, and understand the risks of their decisions.

“The teachers are willing to go back out, and I’m not sure there’s much the Union can do to stop them. Teachers have been away from schools for several months, and, by rights, some feel the need to go back to school. We feel, as a Union, that the teachers might not see the dangers of going back to schools, but it comes down to the teachers,” Lyte said.
The MoE and GTU recently conducted a joint inspection exercise of schools across the country, and Lyte noted that a report was recently submitted, awaiting the MoE’s perusal and a decision on fixing those schools where additional safety measures are needed.

Schools in Guyana have been closed since March 16, following the country recording its first COVID-19 case.
While the schools buildings have remained closed since in September, the ministry took measures to begin re-engaging students, using a multifaceted approach that included teaching via various Internet platforms, such as the Learning Channel, radio, and print materials that will be distributed to all students.

Approximately 7000 – 8000 students across the country are currently preparing to write the 2021 Caribbean Secondary Examinations Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE), which are considered crucial stepping stones in the academic and career pursuits of the students.

A component of the examination involves the students completing home-based assignments being School-Based Assessments (SBAs) for the CSEC students, and Internal Assessments (IAs) for the CAPE students, for which the students often need much guidance from their teachers to complete.
In the months leading up to the examinations, the students also undergo rigorous studying in preparations of the examinations and require much guidance and assistance.