Painting a picture of hope in a COVID-19-affected learning environment, the Ministry of Education, Human Resource Planning, Vocational Training and National Excellence ushered in the 2020/2021 academic year with its annual principal’s meeting.
The document containing the official guidelines and protocols for the reopening of schools and other learning institutions within the ambit of the Ministry of Education was presented at a launching ceremony at the meeting on August 31, 2020, at the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) Building.
The measures which have been in development since June, have been formulated based on the advice and protocols from a number of organizations including UNICEF, WFO, UNESCO, TWB, IIPL, WHO, CARICOM, CDB, CARPHA, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and parents of students in Dominica.
The school reopening protocol includes measures to be implemented before and after the reopening of school. Among the main measures is a requirement that all students, staff, parents, and visitors wear a face mask at any time within the school premises.
When entering and exiting the school, the students are all requested to sanitize/wash their hands, and their body temperature is systematically checked through thermometers. Physical distancing is to be maintained inside and outside school buildings, at all times.
Classroom set-up is arranged to ensure distance between students’ desks and standard class size is reduced. Schools will be sanitized frequently, including workstations, table-tops, chairs and door-handles. Start, finish, and break times are staggered to avoid gathering within the playground and at school gates.
Minister for Education, Octavia Alfred, assured the principals that the government is working to provide safe and conducive conditions within the schools for optimal delivery.
According to her, prior to the issuance of the guidelines, plans had already been outlined to assist schools in coping with the pandemic.
“We will be assisting our teachers and students with devices to improve quality education amidst the pandemic. We have already ensured through collaboration with telecom providers that all schools have WIFI connectivity. We have placed additional water trucks at some of our schools, a process which will certainly continue,” she said.
Additionally, the Minister stated that her department is actively engaging individuals to serve as hygiene wardens at all schools and large quantities of single desks for distribution have been procured.
With the unprecedented risk to children’s education and wellbeing through the closure of schools, particularly the most marginalized, the Minister further encouraged the educators to assist in adjusting to “instructional practices, learning new approaches and explore rapidly evolving technologies to facilitate teaching and learning.”
“In all of this, we will need to consider the needs of all children, some of whom are affected by lack of resources or an enabling environment to access learning, some of whom are early learners, some of whom have special needs, be it physical or psychological,” Alfred noted. “This means we must consider training our teachers to empower them with tools to be effective in the post-covid-19 classroom.”
The minister urged the principals to develop their own strategies.
“I wish to assure you that you have the full support of the Ministry in the effective execution of your duty…sometimes you should be the one advising the Ministry of Education. You must tell us what will work best in your own circumstance even if you are given guidelines. You must be effective managers leading your staff and students in adherence to the guidelines,” she stated.
Alfred believes that the crisis created by COVID-19 stimulated creativity and allowed educators to develop innovative approaches to ensure continuity which she characterised as a “dynamic future for learning”.
She commended the principals for their exceptional leadership skills throughout the pandemic and pledged her Ministry’s continued support in the upcoming academic year.
The document containing the protocols and guidelines for the reopening of schools is posted below.
That lady is an embarrassment . Honestly couldn’t Roosevelt Skerrit choose anyone better to be in charge of educating our children? She is Minister of education for all children, including PMs own. Go figure that one.
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PM children not home schooled?
She certainly looks very unprofessional and non-leadership like
She does look professional , for a local. ITs the podium and the set up around her that is mostly untidy. I dont know why they continue to use that building for official functions. It begs for some sort of face lift or interior decorating with taste. Doesnt take much.
1000s protocols, it’s easy to write those things on paper when you sitting in an office but it doesn’t reflect the situation on the ground. All students are to wear mask! by 8:30 every body mask on their chin. So what? in addition to “Karen stop talking”, “Jane sit down!” we adding “Keisha fix your mask” to the list?
Social distancing where? all schools still going to have assembly which I always considered a waste of time. So when Samantha and Jennifer pull down their mask and up in each other’s face to talk secret and Samantha infects Jennifer, Of a school with lets say 600 students you really think the 50 teachers can monitor all that?
Again, looks very good on paper to say we have a document…. but practical.
What I suggest is, maybe 1st and 2nd formers come school on X day and 3rd come on Y day…minimize the students in the school at a given point. But hey…what do I know
Very good suggestion. They could have at least asked teachers and parents to make some suggestions but I guess they know everything.
They could have at least.
She sure doesn’t look like an Education minister or any government minister. To me she looks like a bully
What percentage of the Protocols and advice are from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and parents of students in Dominica after naming all these Institutions, Organizations, NGO, and UN Agencies, we are just witnessing another bandwagon effect, this time it’s not returnees who will be disobedient not following the Law, it’s the future leaders of the Country, are these protocols the dynamic future for learning, wow.
Sorry, I hit “dislike ” by mistake. I just wish I could shake your big toe!
You trying to sound smart we just give it up lady