Face-To-Face Classes Necessary To Address Learning Loss – PM

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Government is aware of the increased risk of coronavirus (COVID19) infections when schools begin to reopen, but it is a necessary move at this time given the learning loss being experienced by students.

“We have always said that once we [reopen school] we know the numbers are going increase. We are doing this [being] conscious that reopening and sending our children back to school could also cause the numbers to increase. What we are doing is trying to manage the risk – what is the risk of our students staying out much longer and the risk of the rising numbers,” he said.

Mr. Holness, who was making a statement in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (October 26), had also announced the return of face-to-face classes for some students at the primary level beginning November 8.

He noted that while there is a risk in allowing children back to school, especially the cohort for whom there are no vaccines, the Government will, however, put measures in place to mitigate the risks.

“We believe we can manage the risk of outbreak by strategically allowing some children to go back and putting in place a measure that allows vaccinated students where vaccines are accessible… . Students will be allowed to go back unvaccinated but that would be for the population where no vaccine is approved,” Mr. Holness explained.

The Government had already begun allowing a phased resumption of face-to-face classes in the early-childhood sector where some brain-builder centres and infant and basic schools have been permitted to include face-to-face learning opportunities while observing the COVID-19 protocols.

In terms of secondary schools, the Government had advised that once the national average of 65 per cent vaccination is reached at the individual schools, the vaccinated students would be allowed to be in the face-to-face environment while unvaccinated students would continue to access their education using any or all of the other modalities – online, audio/visual and learning kits.

In the interim, the Prime Minister stressed that to ensure secondary-level students are prepared for their external exams, the Government has granted permission for grades 11 to 13 students to be engaged in limited face-to-face activities to include preparation and completion of labs and practical assignments and all activities relating to external examinations.

“These will be done in small groups using a rotation schedule as guided by the COVID-19 protocols. These activities are time-bound and had to be allowed,” he said.