Schools Resume; Students Joyful; Skerrit Justifies Reopening; YouTuber Kicks

Barbara 7th September, 2020

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Schools across Dominica have reopened today to the delight of students, staffers, and government authorities. This is the first time students across the country would return to classrooms after the surfacing of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. PM Roosevelt Skerrit expressed satisfaction with the preparation put in place by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education to enable students resume safely to school.

According to the prime minister, he has received numerous reports from the Minister of Education Octavia Alfred and school principals to evaluate that everything is under control in terms of safety precautions against COVID-19. He said he is aware that some parents are fearful with the school reopening at this time, but that there shouldn’t be any problems even with the current four positive coronavirus cases in Dominica.

“I know that there are anxieties among parents and guardians and students, and this is accepted, but I believe everything will be alright,” Skerrit said. “We have to follow the guidelines. The Ministry of Education has given a whole booklet on guidelines for bus drivers, for conductors, for principals and for teachers for parents, for students and we just need to follow the guidelines.”

Education Minister Octavia Alfred disclosed that the government “stands ready to provide support to principals, teachers and parents to ensure that students continue to learn and thrive in a safe environment.” She made it clear to parents that “the spirit that all of you have shown over the past few months gives me the confidence that we will emerge from this crisis with a stronger, more resilient education system.”

At St. Martin Secondary School, Principal Andra Christian said students and teachers are very happy to return to school, and that face-to-face teaching will build on the online Google Classrooms lectures students had been receiving during the coronavirus lockdown. As part of the protocols put in place to defeat the potential spread of COVID-19, Christian said students arrived to school in batches – first formers at 8AM, second formers came at 9AM, third form at 10AM, and the fourth and fifth formers came in at 11AM.

At the Convent High School, School Principal Isabella Prentice noted that staffers were happy to meet with students again, and commented on the joys of reunion as students rejoined with their friends again. She revealed that the school had installed water troughs, hand sanitizers, and insisted on the use of face masks by students within the school grounds.

Meanwhile, graduated student and YouTuber Jose Thomas has criticized the government for reopening schools at this time, saying that there is a risk of community spread of coronavirus. She insisted that the government should have acknowledged the frights and uncertainties that parents experienced as they released their wards for school to reconsider the reopening date.