EBENEZER--The School Board for Secondary Education SVOBE will continue with its plans to utilise blended learning for the reopening of schools.
SVOBE schools Interim General Director Jacqueline Duggins-Horsford announced this to all parents and guardians of Milton Peters College (MPC) and Sundial School students on Thursday, August 6.
“In preparing for the academic year 2020-2021, keeping in mind the safety measures which would need to be adhered to, SVOBE schools have decided to not facilitate students as of the initial set date for schools to reopen, which is Monday, August 10,” the letter stated.
Classes for both schools will commence one week later – on Monday, August 17. This request was recently approved by Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports (ECYS) Rodolphe Samuel.
Keeping in line with the social distancing safety measures, the SVOBE schools will resort to blended learning, which will entail a combination of one-week on-site education and one-week education from a distance.
“From our experience during the closure of schools from March through June, it became evident that to properly teach from a distance, teachers require professional development. We will be offering trainings and workshops for our teachers on digital learning and more. This will enable all teachers to be optimally prepared to facilitate our students … with distance learning,” the letter stated.
From August 10 to 14, all teachers will engage in professional development to prepare to facilitate distance learning for the students. Students are therefore asked to remain at home, as there will be no classes.
August 17-21 will be the Introduction Week for all students. Each class will have a specific day to report to school to start up the school year. This will be announced by the schools.
The week of August 24-28 will be dedicated to the first formers. “This group of vulnerable students will need extra guidance, as secondary education is new for them,” the letter stated. Each class will be divided into group A and group B. When group A is in on-site teaching, group B will do so from a distance, and vice-versa. This will alternate each day. During this week all other forms will remain at home and will work from a distance.
From August 31 to September, SVOBE will wait for the assessment to be completed as informed by Minister Samuel in determining how education will continue for schools. “SVOBE schools will be ready for whether it is decided to do blended learning or full distance learning,” stated the letter.
Parents and guardians will receive more information from the schools with details pertaining to schedules, dates and times next week in preparation for receiving the students for Introduction Week.
