Back to school for basic school
THIS time last year, back-to-school preparations would have been in full swing, but with the threat of COVID-19 still looming overhead, many parents are understandably on the fence about whether they should pay school fees and purchase uniforms for the upcoming semester.
The uncertainty is especially high among parents whose children are or will be enrolled in early childhood institutions, as smaller children will have more difficulty grasping (or flat out reject) new norms such as social distancing, mask-wearing, sanitising and virtual learning.
State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information Alando Terrelonge is assuring parents that early childhood institutions are being monitored by the Government to ensure their children’s safety.
“We want to assure our parents and children, and all stakeholders within the education sector, that all the requisite protocols have been designed. It is now for individual institutions to adhere to the protocols,” he said.
“We have indicated what we consider to be a safe number of students — based on their age range — per class to an instructor, or to two instructors. We have indicated that we expect our students over two years old to be wearing masks, but even whilst wearing masks, each institution should have what we call a ‘safe zone’ which will allow our young children to remove the masks freely where they can breathe better,” he continued. “We ask them to ensure that all toys are constantly washed, and we have indicated that they should have the requisite numbers of caregivers. There should be a nurse as well, in the event that the child is not feeling well, with a sick area where children can safely go. All requisite protocols such as making sure that temperature checks are done and sanitisation stations are in place, have been outlined.”
As it relates to distance learning, the minister said that early childhood institutions have been proposing a mixed curriculum.
“The preferred model is that we’re looking at a combination of virtual learning and also face-to-face learning,” he said. “Some schools have forwarded a proposal where students will come into school two or three days per week, and the rest of the week will be online. We’re also looking at shortened hours, or what we call staggered hours, to ensure that the time spent at school is maximised in terms of learning, but limited in terms of contact hours.”
Homeschooling seems to be a favourable alternative for parents, and they have the freedom to choose how they educate their children up to the age of six, when primary education becomes compulsory. The Early Childhood Commission provides free resources to parents, including the early childhood education curriculum by age, on their website ecc.gov.jm.
