BRIDGETOWN, Barbados--Classes will be fully online when schools begin the new academic year on September 20, the Minister of Education Santia Bradshaw has announced.
The decision comes amid a new, strong surge of coronavirus infections, apparently linked to the highly contagious Delta variant which has affected more children. A number of schools, including the Darryl Jordan Secondary and Blackman and Gollop Primary, have been pressed into service as isolation centres.
“We believe, and after discussions this morning [Tuesday, August 31 – Ed.] with the various representatives of the trade union movement, as well as the PTAs [Parent Teacher Associations], we believe that the time has now come for us as we approach the start of the September term, to go fully online and therefore, I want to announce that all classes will begin for both students at the public and private schools on the 20th of September but they will now be fully online,” the education minister said in a video statement.
Over 100 students are now in isolation across the various centres, the minister said. But she explained that as the surge of COVID-19 cases continues more schools may be drafted to assist the Ministry of Health.
She said: “In order to be able to get ahead of this particular virus, there may be other sites in the coming weeks that may have to be used. Some of our schools may have to be used. It is not a measure of first resort, but the truth of the matter is that many of our schools have in fact been upgraded and the bathroom facilities and showers lend to being able to be considered as an adequate facility to be able to host persons who may be sick.
“In the past few days, we’ve had to set up the Blackman and Gollop as an isolation facility and I know that there are some who believe that we shouldn’t be using these schools, but the truth of the matter is that this facility has been able to serve the Ministry of Health and Wellness well. In the past, we’ve been able to hand it back over to the school at the appropriate time, and I think the situation now warrants that we’re able to provide additional facilities for the Ministry of Health and Wellness.” ~ Barbados Today ~
