Schools still plan to reopen - but situation being watched

Education, Technical and Vocational Training Minister Glenys Hanna Martin.

As of Friday, December 24, 2021

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

EDUCATION Minister Glenys Hanna Martin says her ministry is still moving full steam ahead with the plan to reopen schools next month.

Some observers wonder what the local and global surge in COVID-19 cases will mean for the reopening.

Public schools are scheduled to reopen in the second week of January with a hybrid model.

Asked about the plans yesterday, Health Minister Dr Michael Darville suggested key decisions will be made in the coming days.

“We are very concerned about what we are seeing in the county and over the next few days there will be a determination on what direction we need to go in,” he said.

“As we said before, the circumstances are very fluid. If you look at the case in Grand Bahama, there was a spike and now it seems as if it’s tapering off so we’re watching it very closely.”

Meanwhile, Mrs Hanna Martin said: “We are completely guided on this issue by the Ministry of Health and there has been no indication or variation signalled to us as a result of anything happening at this moment and so our plans are proceeding full speed ahead to get children back in school to try and deal with recovery of learning loss and to ensure that on the campus we execute the mandated protocols from the Ministry of Health.”

Mrs Hanna Martin has repeatedly expressed concern about the impact the pandemic has had on learning, with many students not regularly attending online classes. She has said students will have to be assessed and remediation will be necessary as officials hope to prevent a “lost generation” of youth.

“Over the last almost two years since the first COVID case in The Bahamas, there has been tremendous disruptions in our children’s education and significant gaps in learning have occurred,” she said recently. “And we have discovered that a significant number of children have either not been on consistently or not at all during that entire period.

“All of the research shows that learning loss of that nature has a serious impact on the child’s personal development, which also has an impact on the national development. If you have masses of people who have been set back in this way, it’s something that we will all pay a price for. As a result of that, we have been speaking with our technical people to see what strategies have to be implemented to catch up.

“Part of that will include a testing of the children once we get them back in the classroom so that we are able to make an assessment of the extent of loss which we hope is not extensive. Thereafter channelling the children in appropriate remediation programmes to see catch up.”

JokeyJack 2 years, 4 months ago

Don't waste time opening schools. Our kids dont want to learn, but instead play video games and go on Tik Tok. Besides, there are no jobs for them when they graduate - so what they need to learn anything for?

bahamianson 2 years, 4 months ago

What are you watching? The PM changed the restrictions for a reason. 150 cases in a day. Better keep those chirrin home in front of the computer.Hey, the traffice on the street isnt bad either. Actuallt, we need to keep it like this. Half of the population needs to stay home half of the day and switch at noon.

whogothere 2 years, 4 months ago

restaurants and gyms and church must be a lot less dangerous then classrooms…. In fact public school classrooms must be the most dangerous setting in the Bahamas - it’s the only one that has been closed for nearly two years… it’s almost like our children have no voice and nobody cares…

Maximilianotto 2 years, 4 months ago

So working on getting grade D to 99%? Wondering what is the New Day plan? Better close everything else before closing urgently needed schools!

tribanon 2 years, 4 months ago

This loud-mouthed, uncouth and most incomptent dingbat signifies the end of our country's public education system. Davis could not find a worse person to appoint as minister of education. Hanna-Martin is a certifiable mental basket case who will end up accomplishing the impossible, i.e., making her predecessor Lloyd look good!

carltonr61 2 years, 4 months ago

The Minnisitis crew waiting to do da told you so dance. Like the rest of the script they leave out the data that the unexpected vaccinated are getting sick although armed with their vaunted do or die vaccine which is proving rather embarrassing useless. The world is in shock mode as as the next script calls for another months of lockdown to hide vaccine failure.

carltonr61 2 years, 4 months ago

Marching in South Korea by families who's healthy members died after vaccinations.

https://www.rt.com/news/544464-south-...">https://www.rt.com/news/544464-south-...

sheeprunner12 2 years, 4 months ago

As long as the vaccines are classified as "experimental", Bahamians will take them at their own risk. There is too much hidden information surrounding these vaccines. But the most telling thing is that NO Govt will take responsibility if a person comes up with complications as a result of taking a vaccine. Take note of how quiet that the Govt or the media is about that.

Education is not just for school aged children

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