(Trinidad Guardian) All students in Forms Four to Six have been ordered to return to the physical classroom from next Monday–October 25, regardless of their vaccination status at this time.
Announcing this latest directive during a media briefing at the Ministry of Education (MoE) yesterday, Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly said data collection during the past two weeks relating to the daily attendance of students, indicate, “school attendance is consistently lower in the government secondary schools with an average of 50 per cent of the eligible cohort attending school physically.”
She said, “The Government does not hold nor accept the position that the physical return of students to the classroom should be further delayed.”
The minister said denominational secondary schools and private institutions were recording higher student attendance levels which were said to be around 80 per cent and increasing daily, with some reporting as much as 95 per cent physical attendance.
In mandating this cohort of students back to school for classroom teaching and the completion of practicals and School-Based Assessments (SBA’s), Gadsby-Dolly said in addition, “Schools are not required to provide online classes or synchronous sessions for students of Forms Four to Six, or equivalent in lieu of student attendance at physical classes. All students are expected to attend school physically.”
Students attending special schools along with their support staff are being allowed to attend school physically, according to a suitable rotational schedule devised by principals.
Meanwhile, students in Forms One to Three or equivalent, will continue to engage in remote learning.
Gadsby-Dolly said, “Unless otherwise advised, these students will return to the physical classroom in January, 2022, which is Term II of academic year 2021/2022.”
Principals have been advised that they can request permission from the ministry to have their Forms One to Three students physically visit the school for orientation exercises during this term, if required.
