SOME private schools will partially reopen their doors tomorrow, as the Ministry of Education prepares to welcome back exam students in the public schools.
The private learning institutions welcomed the decision of the Government to allow schools to reopen, effective Monday, November 9, and it was officially published in the Gazette on October 30, as part of the COVID-19 measures.

The Ministry of Education (MoE) subsequently announced that it will be partially reopening schools from November 9 for students in Grades 10, 11 and 12, as they are preparing to write examinations with the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), and are most in need of face-to-face interactions with teachers.
As a result, many private schools have followed suit, given that students have been relegated to virtual learning for the past seven months. At the Morgan Learning Centre, on D’Urban Street, Werk-en-Rust, in southern Georgetown, the school will be opening on November 16, with normal everyday classes for all of its Fourth and Fifth Form students.
“The decision is good, not just for private schools or public schools, but for Guyana’s children,” said Orin Morgan, the school’s director.

“As a country on a whole, we have students who are falling through the cracks in the system. There are students who are self-motivated, but there are many students out there who need that push,” Morgan told the Sunday Chronicle.

Both public and private schools in Guyana have been closed since March, due to the measures put in place to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). To ensure learning continues during the closure, schools had put in place virtual means of delivering education, however, stakeholders have agreed that the system could never replace in-class teaching.

“While COVID-19 has slowed the world down, the world hasn’t stopped. And CXC has set the date already, and Guyana’s children must be prepared for this exam. And we will do all we can, while observing the guidelines and protocols, to ensure the business of learning takes place, and the children are prepared,” Morgan said.
He bemoaned Guyana’s unstable Internet supply, noting its effect on students.

“We have our own dedicated and integrated platform, but in Guyana, the Internet supply isn’t stable, and there are some students who aren’t able to get on to the platform, or it wasn’t consistent,” the educator said.
Like with the public schools, the private schools will be required to host the students in line with the requirements of the COVID-19 safety measures, which include providing facilities for all persons to wash their hands upon entry to the buildings, the testing of temperatures, the requirement that all wear a masks upon entry, and social distancing of students during classes.
The MoE has a Private Schools Coordinator, who is in contact with all private schools, and arrangements are said to be in place for checks to be made at the private institutions to ensure conformity with COVID-19 measures. The schools are preparing the buildings to ensure they are ready.

“We are currently involved with the preparation, such as sanitisation of the building, cleaning of AC vents and ducts. It’s a lot of work; that is why we will not be opening this Monday initially. But because of the level of preparation we are undertaking, the students will be back at the building,” Morgan noted.
However, outside of Grades 10 and 11, some private schools will also be opening at the primary school level for those pupils preparing to write the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).
At Apex Education on the East Coast Demerara, the administration has issued a notice, calling for those pupils preparing for the NGSA to report to school for normal classes from November 16. The school has noted that it will be implementing a mixed system of physical groups, based on teaching and virtual classes. Apex Education also has reopened its doors for its Grade 10 and 11 students.

At Cherished Lambs, on Brickdam, the administration has also notified parents that it will be reopening from tomorrow, November 9, with physical classes for its NGSA pupils.
Some private schools, however, have taken the option to remain closed until further notice. At School of the Nations, Director Brian O’Toole told this publication that following consultations with parents, it was decided that the school will remain closed.

O’Toole said the parents are not worried about learning loss for the students, as the school has a robust virtual-learning platform, where the majority of its students are able to learn as much as with physical classes.
“We contacted all our parents, and in a survey, 76% said we have no desire to come back. So what we have decided is that we are going to continue on Zoom for the next two weeks, and then review it again. A lot of work has gone into our Online programme, so they are very happy with it,” O’ Toole noted.