Education Ministry Cautions Parents

The Ministry of Education is cautioning parents who are planning to send their children to school during the two-day planned strike by teachers on May 3 and 4, as announced by the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA), as the students will be unsupervised.
“At this point, the Ministry of Education is not actively promoting any alternative for the supervision of students at schools,” Education Minister, Andrew Holness said yesterday (May 1), at a press conference, held at the Ministry, in Kingston. .
“With the short notice that we have received, the Ministry would not have had enough time to organize any alternative and we would not be able to guarantee the safety and security of students who turn up at school,” the Minister said.
Mr. Holness said that if the protest is prolonged beyond the two days, the Ministry will have to find alternative measures, including inviting parents and other volunteers to assist in schools, to ensure that the system is operational.
He informed that the Ministry has not taken any decision for the extension of the school year to compensate for lost contact hours, adding that this will be discussed at a later date.