Education Minister Shawn Edward is pleased with the resumption of face-to-face classes in Saint Lucia, telling reporters that he is on record indicating it is the preferred modality.
“I am very happy that our students are back in school this morning – all the grade levels. This is what the Ministry of Education has been asking for,” the Minister stated on Monday.
“We know COVID has posed a challenge and I have alluded to the fact that managing the education system in a COVID-induced environment has been a bit challenging and so we have had to resort to the online platform,” he recalled.
However, Edward said the authorities had some challenges because the online platform does not have the desired effect.
As a result, he expressed that any opportunity to get the nation’s children in school is something that his Ministry welcomes.
“For me personally this morning the students from Kindergarten all the way to form five are in school and we’re hoping that we will continue to manage the situation in country so there can be very few disruptions moving forward,” he stated.
Asked about the role of parents, the Minister said it is indispensable in the education system.
”At home we have to encourage the children to observe the protocols as outlined not just by the Ministry of Health, but even the ones that the teachers are pushing at the level of the school,” Edward asserted.
The adults in the community need to play their role in stopping the spread so that our kids can remain in school. The next step is how will the ministry help students to fill in the gaps and accelerate student learning.