KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Education Youth and Information says independent schools that received letters from the Ministry of Health and Wellness indicating that they have met the standards for certification and reopened their schools on the basis of those letters are not in violation of the ministry’s remote learning advisory.

The ministry noted that the enforcement measures order under the Disaster Risk Management Act specifically allows in-person instruction.

The clarification comes after consultations with representatives of independent schools held on Monday and Wednesday, when members shared with Education Minister Fayval Williams the challenges and uniqueness of their operations.

The ministry explained that many of Jamaica’s independent schools cater to children with special needs and these children are not well served with online or remote learning.

The ministry further apologised for any inconvenience caused to the four schools that were named in a Nationwide News Network interview and said it will continue to support these and other independent schools in this difficult period.

“Our independent schools are hurting financially. They have some unique challenges to which our ministry must respond. Many of our independent schools serve many special needs children for whom the three approaches we outlined are not ideal. Others would have invested heavily in significantly improving the safety of their environment for face-to-face classes,” Williams said in Parliament on Tuesday.

“These independent schools exist and find ways to keep themselves going financially as a result of decisions and choices that parents make to fund the tuition and so these schools do not make a call on the government’s purse. We could learn from those who opened their doors on September 7 and remained open in a very safe way, in many cases providing transportation to students without access,” she added.

The ministry said it, along with the health ministry, will be having consultations with diverse group of schools over the next few days to look at their unique situations and ensure they are in compliance with the Disaster Risk Management Act protocols everyday and that parents understand their responsibilities and the uncertainties of the pandemic.