Parents are already calling out Grade Six teachers for slacking off on implementing COVID-19 measures for schools after children and teachers were seen without masks or not wearing them properly on their first day back on Monday.
The complaints came from persons living in Regions 3 and 4, said to be the two regions affected the most by the pandemic, and also from Regions 6 and 10.
Children sitting the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) returned to school on Monday.
One parent from Wakenaam whose sixth grader returned to school on Monday said, “… most times initiatives lapse after some time. However, in this case it is strictly being ignored by those in authority. I would not be surprised if in the coming weeks we have students without their face masks and totally ignoring the practice of social distancing. The stage is already set for noncompliance by those who should be enforcing compliance,” she contended.
MoE’s senior public relations officer, Brushell Blackman, when contacted on Monday said the ministry has already asked that parents inform their children about the seriousness of COVID-19.
The parent who spoke earlier in this article further stated, “Without a doubt [I’m worried for my daughter’s safety]. She is a child and as much as I will drill the importance of washing her hands, using sanitizers regularly, not touching her face, wearing her mask, and maintaining social distancing at all times, if no one is there to ensure that these things happen then there is a possibility that she could fall victim to the need to congregate with her classmates.”
It was further noted by this mother that her daughter’s school has five teachers present during this period but of the five she saw only the head teacher and a junior teacher wearing masks – no other teacher wore facemasks.
Section (b) (ii) and (iii) under the gazetted Health and Safety Measures of the MoE’s Special Measures for the COVID-19, states that the temperature of all school staff and students must be checked by a medical practitioner from the school’s community health centre and only by teachers and other officers where it is not practical to have a clinician at every examination. However, this protocol was not followed by all schools.
In fact, it was witnessed by this newspaper that at one school in Canal Number Two, where the community’s functioning health centre is situated a stone’s throw away, a teacher was the one checking temperatures. It was reported to this newspaper by one of the sixth graders from this school that her temperature was not checked. The child added that when she reminded the teacher that she forgot to take her temperature, the teacher instead sent her to her classroom without doing so.
The child mentioned also that during the class session, the class teacher told them if they were feeling dizzy or couldn’t breathe they could take off their masks but had to be on the alert and should the head teacher come by, they were to quickly see that their masks were back on then. According to the sixth grader she along with some of the other students did in fact take their masks off every now and again while class was in session and added that the teacher as well taught for the latter part of the session with her mask pulled down as she said she was asthmatic.
Section (C) (a) of the After School Measures declares that children must be picked up promptly from school by their parents or guardians while section (C) (c) states that those children who are not picked up by guardians shall only leave following the guidance of the teacher or invigilator.
It was noted that at this Canal Number Two School, a large percentage of the children leaving the school’s compound following the end of the day’s school
session were not accompanied by their parents, guardians, teachers, or invigilators. In fact, some of these children made their way home on foot while others assembled in a group awaiting public transportation, the majority of which in this district, carries the same three or more passengers in the back seat and one in the front seat.
One concerned person told this newspaper, “I knew this was going to happen. It is not reassuring,” she said of the children and school staff not following the guidelines before adding, “Students are already at risk when they have to catch [public transportation]…. just [Monday] I was on my way back [to work] and I saw some students walking to go to the bus park I assume; they weren’t even walking with some distance between themselves,” she said. According to the young woman, she has since seen several pictures posted on social media of secondary school children gathered together, some with their face masks off.
Nervous
At East Berbice Corentyne, a six grader told Stabroek News that on her first day back, she was nervous because some of the health orders advised by the MoE as well as the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) were not being thoroughly followed.
She explained that upon arrival, she noticed that persons had to maintain distance when entering the school’s compound. The student also said that there was no sink for hands to be washed upon entering the school gate and that the security guard squeezed sanitizer into her hands. She further noted that children leaving for bathroom breaks had their hands sanitized before returning to class. The 11-year-old also said that the nurse that should have been checking their temperatures did not arrive until 9 am by which time they were already seated in their classes.
In section (A) under Preparatory measures, it reads: “All schools shall have appropriate sanitation stations, including adequate water supply and soap, and bins with covers,” which according to the order, the appropriate infrastructure is to be implemented prior to the commencement of classes.
Sinks were installed at the school yesterday when pupils turned up.
Meanwhile, a teacher at Watooka Day Primary, though she did not comment on whether the health order was followed, shared that she had a difficult first day teaching though only three quarters of the school’s sixth graders showed up for school. Speaking with Stabroek News, the teacher said, “The process was a bit challenging since [I] had to maneuver from one room to another to deliver work to the learners. This was due to classrooms being small, so one class was separated.”
A parent and former teacher on Monday said that those in authority should rethink the pronouncement of children returning to school at a time when adults are being asked to stay at home.
Parents are worried should their children contract the virus, and are asking if the relevant authorities are prepared to face the consequences. If a number of children should contract the virus, not only will they be quarantined but so will their teachers, parents, siblings and everyone else they would have come into contact with. Is the MoPH capable of undertaking such a situation in providing enough facilities, the required care, and medical equipment? What happens then with regard to the writing of these examinations? Is Guyana economically prepared for an extended lockdown period?
