Region Six’s primary and nursery schools reopened yesterday for face-to-face learning but while there was a poor turnout of students overall, parents who opted to send their children to school were happy with the arrangements.
For primary schools, Grade Six students will attend all five days, while Grade One students will attend Monday, Grade Two students on Tuesday, Grade Three students on Wednesday, Grade Four students on Thursday and Grade Five students on Fridays. However, nursery school children will attend two days per week as specified by their individual schools.
Parents who spoke with Stabroek News yesterday stressed that they were eager to have their children return to school as they feel the online classes were not meeting their needs.
At the Cumberland Primary School, East Canje Berbice, parents turned out in their numbers to drop their children off to school. One woman, whose daughter is in Grade Six, noted, “I glad school reopen. I talk to her about wearing her masks and not borrowing things from anyone and touching it and being careful. I used to send her lessons because the online work wasn’t doing anything and so I glad she can come back to school and have some time to prepare before she write her exam.”
Another parent noted, that she is also supportive of the reopening of schools while other members of her family were not. “Some [family] been a tell me na send he but I decide to send and I talk with he teacher and she say she gonna watch them. So I say let me send he. Because how long he gonna deh home doing nothing?”
Shanaz Ram, a mother of two, from the Upper Corentyne area, related that having to teach her children at home during the pandemic had been extremely “hectic” for her. However, she said, that she tried her best “so I welcome the reopening atleast for that one day.”
Having had her children in online classes over the last year, Ram said, that she prefers the face to face learning as her children can better understand the topics which are being taught.
She then encouraged both parents and teachers to get vaccinated. Noting that to her knowledge all the teachers at her children’s school were vaccinated, Ram said, “Both teachers and parents should get vaccinated because it won’t be fair that teachers are vaccinated and parents are not.”
She then pleaded with teachers to take up their roles and ensure that the children social distance and sanitise while in classrooms.
“From the time COVID came about, I have had regular conversations with my children. They watch videos online, advertisement and so they learn a lot and then when the they start talk about reopening I had conversations with them about social distancing and washing their hands and sanitizing if they are to go back to school,” she stressed.
One parent of a student at the St Mary’s Nursery School, New Amsterdam, noted, that she was informed that her children would be attending classes two times a week “and I still glad for it. I glad that school open and I glad that they would go out…I would glad if was three day but we still accept for the two day.”
She added that when she took her child to the classroom there were only a few students in class yesterday morning.
Another parent, Latoya Bharrat, said, that one of her children, who is in Grade Two, will be attending school one day per week based on the schedule “and I ain’t too comfortable with that one day.”
She noted that one of her children is also attending the Vryman’s Erven Secondary School but they were told there that secondary schools have not yet reopened to face to face learning.
Secondary schools countrywide are expected to be reopened once students are vaccinated as currently vaccination outreaches are ongoing for students between the ages of 12 and 18 years old.
Sasha Christopher told Stabroek News that her child had a good first day. She is scheduled to attend school two days per week. While noting that she does not believe two days is adequate, Christopher also understands that due to COVID-19 this is the best option for now.
“We ga thank god that they still getting to go two days to school than none,” she stressed.
Regional Chairman of Region Six David Armogan had previously told Stabroek News that all schools were equipped with washing sinks while he claimed that teachers would be required to ensure social distancing, among other measures.
