Dear Editor,
As a Grade Six teacher who has served the children of Guyana for more than twenty years, I am anxious about the reopening of schools.
I am using the word anxious because it has been over four months since students were sent home indefinitely and to date the Education Ministry cannot publicise its plan/s for the reopening of school. COVID-19 makes it all the more important for senior education officials to carefully create a plan which conforms to health guidelines and which will ensure the health and well-being of teachers and students.
Of particular concern to me is those school-aged children who reside in the hinterland communities. What systems are in place to ensure that each of those children returns to the classroom when the reopening of schools occurs? What assistance will be given to those parents who lost their job or were unable to work because of the health crisis? What will become of the students in Moruca, Region One?
The return of students to the classroom at this time is a critical issue which requires meticulous deliberations and planning to ensure that the best measures are put in place to ensure the safety of students, teachers and others who make up the school environment. It is a task not only for ministry officials and teachers, but the input of parents is required. No parent wants to put the health of their child at risk. It is for this reason that their suggestions should be noted and appropriate action taken, if found to be valid.
On returning to school, many will experience ‘the new normal’: testing of temperature, wearing of face mask, social distancing and the constant washing of hands. School officials will require adequate supplies, inclusive of thermometers, masks, soap, hand sanitizer and cleaning agents. Many parents cannot afford the basic safety items for their children to return to the classroom.
Will the Ministry of Education be providing every public educational institution in Guyana with supplies so that such parents can be assisted? How often will schools be sanitized? Will the Ministry of Education be employing more sweeper cleaners and onsite managers to ensure that the students comply with the health and safety guidelines? Will the Ministry of Education be purchasing ferries, boats and buses to transport children to school to ensure compliance with social distance en route to schools? Considering that the National Assembly has not approved a National Budget since 2018, does the Ministry of Education have the financial capacity to address the impact of COVID-19 on education in Guyana? These are important questions which ought to be answered.
Frankly speaking. I am extremely disappointed that the caretaker Minister of Education, Ms. Nicolette Henry has not had the courtesy to hold at the bare minimum, a Press Briefing to inform the parents, teachers and students about the way forward. More than four months after our first confirmed COVID-19 case, everyone is still in the dark regarding education delivery.
The Minister of Education cannot sit in the comfort of her air conditioned office and just spring the reopening of school on this nation. Parents need to do back-to-school shopping, uniforms have to be sewed and plans put in place to ensure the safety of their children in the school environment. There are many single parent households and households which live on a month to month budget. One must keep in mind that some parents have lost their jobs or a considerable portion of their earnings as a result of the pandemic.
Further, I strongly believe that the Minister and her officials need to urgently launch a robust health campaign targeting school children on the health and safety practices which must be adhered to in the school environment. If school is to be reopened in early September as is being peddled, work needs to start now.
The Ministry is silent on the proposed date but the Guyana Chronicle published an article in yesterday’s edition in which this nation was informed that the Ministry of Education officials are engaging Headteachers on a phased reopening of schools. This is ludicrous and unacceptable. What was the thought that went into suggesting that the reopening should start with Grades 5 to 10? That doesn’t make sense to me particularly when Nursery-aged children are at a critical junction of intellectual development. The focus has been on Primary and Secondary students; nobody is talking about those at the Nursery or Technical levels.
I strongly believe that the Education Ministry had and probably still has the opportunity, to work along with the Ministry of Public Telecommunications to provide efficient virtual educational opportunities for all students. Many schools have Wi-Fi access. Put it to good use. Equip teachers with tablets and utilize the systems that are already in
schools. Don’t let the millions of dollars that were spent to install this relevant piece of technology go to waste.
In closing I would like to plead with the Education officials to get their act together. The educational advancement of this nation is at stake. The educational foundation of our students has been shaken and is now weak. We need to fix this and it has to be fixed fast.
On a scale of one to ten (one being the lowest and ten, the highest), we are at two. We are not ready for the reopening of school in September 2020.
Yours faithfully,
Africo Selman
Grade Six Teacher
Former Member of
Parliament
