— MoE wary of learning loss, losing learners to the labour market

MANY students in Grades 10, 11 and 12 returned to the face-to-face classroom setting on Monday, as the Ministry of Education attempts to prevent further learning loss and losing learners to the labour market.

During a press conference on Monday afternoon, Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, related that, based on information garnered from five of the 10 administrative regions, there was a 60 per cent turnout of students in Grades 10 and 11. Additionally, there was a 100 per cent turnout of teachers, which she said was not surprising, since many of those teachers indicated that online teaching was not conducive for teaching all parts of the curriculum.

Since March, schools have been closed to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Learning shifted to the online setting, which was seen as one of the few options which could facilitate engagement at the time. The Ministry of Education, however, made the decision to conduct a phased reopening of schools, starting with Grades 10, 11 and 12 and the Technical Vocational schools, from Monday.

Earlier in the day, while visiting schools, the minister related to members of the media that it seemed as though more of the “top schools” have a higher turnout of students.

She however reminded, “We gave parents a choice — you can keep your children at home, if they are engaged; you can bring them out (to schools); or you can get them transferred if they are attending a school if they live far away.”

These options have been introduced because the ministry is trying to meet the needs of the students and parents in the unusual learning environment. Additionally, schools have been given the autonomy to craft their own schedules for engagement, cognisant of the challenges their students might have faced over the past few months and the novel solutions crafted in response. What is important, the minister stressed, however, is that the students are prepared for their high-stakes examinations in 2021.

BLENDED APPROACH
On Monday, there were no students at Queen’s College. While speaking to journalists, the Principal Jackie Benn-Ralph related that the school has adopted a blended approach. Through this mechanism, teaching will continue online and students will only visit the school’s premises if they have to do practical work.

Students expected to engage in practical work and assessments for home-economics, the pure sciences, the industrial arts, the allied arts and agricultural science will be in school for the face-to-face and practical sessions. A two-shift system, from 09:00 hours to 12:00 hours and 13:00 hours to 15:00 hours, was developed from proposals submitted by the various Heads of Departments.

“What we found is that our students, when they do come into the school will be actively engaged without them being otherwise distracted,” the principal said, adding: “If we are bringing them in for three hours, it is for concentrated work; we don’t want them engaged in anything else.”

She also highlighted that this system of blended learning is what is necessary to adequately prepare her students for their upcoming examinations. The principal also related that the students were “anxious” to complete their School-Based Assessments (SBAs) and Internal Assessments (IAs).

While this school is able to effectively engage in blended learning, the minister acknowledged that it is not the same for many other schools. The school’s ability to craft its own schedules and mechanisms for engagement is therefore crucial.

PREVENTING DROPOUTS
“We can’t allow our children to drop out because of the absence of engagement from March to now,” Minister Manickchand stressed. Subsequently, she explained that the ministry, and by extension the Government, is tasked with ensuring that the COVID-19 pandemic does not augur long term implications for learners.

Of grave concern is whether students have “dropped out” to support their families or because of the protracted period away from school.

The Education Minister highlighted that support will be given to students so that they can return to the learning environment and complete their secondary education. That support will be offered on an individual basis, after assessing what support is needed.

Previously, Minister Manickchand disclosed that teachers, parents and CSEC and CAPE students themselves have registered their concerns that they are not being engaged adequately in preparation for their 2021 examinations. These concerns precipitated the move to reopen schools.

On Monday, while visiting the schools, the minister highlighted again that reopening schools would help prevent further learning loss, particularly among those students who have not been able to adequately access or utilise the online learning space.

At the West Demerara and Brickdam secondary schools, students did turn out to classes. Headteacher of the West Demerara school, Harrynarine said the shift to online learning was not without its challenges as some students did not have adequate internet connectivity or electronic devices to access classes.

The turnout at that school, on Monday, was approximately 90 per cent. Over at the East La Penitence Primary, where the Brickdam Secondary School students are being engaged, there was about a 70 per cent attendance, according to the Deputy Headteacher, Samantha Alleyne.

She highlighted, as well, that engaging students online has been a challenge for the teachers of the school. Now that the school is reopened, on a rotational basis, she is optimistic that some students may be able to access the school’s Information Technology (IT) lab for some amount of blended learning.