Education Minister Priya Manickchand has announced that schools will remain closed to face-to-face learning when classes resume on April 12.
The minister made the announcement last Thursday during a virtual update, which was shared on the Ministry’s Facebook page.
Manickchand said that following guidance of the Ministry of Health, the government and her ministry had made the decision to keep schools closed to face-to-face learning except for the grade levels that have already returned.
“Schools will remain closed for face-to-face teaching for the month of April except for the classrooms which we have already returned,” Manickchand said.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools were closed a year ago as the ministry adopted virtual and other approaches to delivering educational content.
Late last year, Manickchand announced that following a Cabinet decision, schools were allowed to reopen for face-to-face engagements for the cohort of students in grades 10, 11, 12 as well as for all Practical Instruction Centres (PICs) and Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Centres. The schools were allowed to decide on how the classes would be carried out with consideration to COVID-19 guidelines.
The minister previously said that parents and learners will be updated on the way forward as the ministry makes decisions which are guided by the Ministry of Health. Both Ministries and the Guyana Teachers’ Union have discussed a possible rollout of vaccines for teachers to become immunised before face-to-face teaching commences.
Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony in a recent COVID-19 update mentioned that teachers are among the frontline workers who will be immunised. However, the Ministry of Health has announced that the inoculation programme has expanded and now includes inoculation for persons 40 years and above. Before the expansion for eligibility healthcare workers and persons 60 years old and above were prioritised. It must be noted that Anthony previously told this newspaper that these persons are still considered priority and will not be turned away.
