WHEN COVID-19 ‘arrived’ in Guyana in March 2020, everything changed for 42-year-old Primary School teacher, Abigail Blackman. Catapulted into an unfamiliar method of teaching, and suddenly finding herself teacher to her own two daughters was not easy for the 5th grade educator.
“It’s been very difficult working during COVID-19. Working from home is hard, because I have to teach my child, who is in another grade level, and I have to teach my pupils, who are in another grade level. I’m not able to reach all my pupils because of difficulties they might encounter, and different pupils learn differently, so sometimes the concepts are difficult for them to grasp,” Blackman explained, in an interview with this newspaper.

The woman, who is mother to two, elaborated that although Ministry of Education worksheets are helpful to some pupils, there are a few downsides to the learning assists.
“The worksheets are sometimes limited in exercises, and on the other hand, contain too many concepts at one time. At some times, you don’t get the work back in a timely manner to be marked,” she added.
As expected, teaching from home and helping her own school-aged children with their work soon proved tedious for Blackman. However, she soon learned to navigate those waters smoothly.
“At first it was having a negative mental effect on me, but with time and availability of information, it eased the mental strain,” she stated.
Asked about her thoughts on the COVID-19 vaccine, the woman said, “I’m skeptical about the vaccine, because it doesn’t protect against all the new variants that are emerging, and there are some vaccines that aren’t really seen as credible, or effective.”

However, she and her family continue to observe the protocols of the gazetted COVID-19 Emergency Guidelines, which emphasise the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving home, the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others, and the need for good hand hygiene to help reduce the spread of the disease, among other guidelines.
Blackman’s experience is not an entirely unique one, however. There have been numerous challenges plaguing the local education sector, because of the disparities in education. And, teachers have to navigate these disparities in their bid to ensure that each child is adequately taught while simultaneously navigating the overarching COVID-19 pandemic.
Recognising some of the challenges that exist, the Ministry of Education has made efforts to return learners and teachers to some semblance of normalcy. Though the older students have been allowed to return to schools, Miss Blackman and her pupils may have to wait some time longer. For now, they have to keep contending with ‘Zoom school’.