PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – The Trinidad and Tobago government says secondary school students in Forms 1-3 will be required to attend classes at least twice a week when schools reopen for physical classes on February 7 following their closure due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Students of St Joseph Convent in San Fernando. (RISHI RAGOONATH via the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian)The Ministry of Education said that those students will be allowed to resume face to face classes on a rotational basis from February 7 and that there would also be a relaxation of the school uniform rules, particularly with types and colors of shoes.
It said that the details of this arrangement for each school will be communicated to parents and students by principals, but “all students should be required to attend school physically at minimum 2 days per week, and 5 days in a 10-day cycle”.
In addition, secondary school students who are not rostered for physical attendance are to be assigned asynchronous assignments.
“It is recognized that since February 2021, many teachers have been assigning asynchronous work for Forms 1-3 as they straddle both online and physical classes. Teachers have, and will continue to receive guidance and training in methods for maximizing hybrid teaching approaches such as the flipped classroom, so that the effectiveness of asynchronous classes will be maximized,” the Ministry said., adding that teachers have also received the critical areas for curriculum completion, which will allow them to make the most of physical classes with students.
The Education Ministry also announced that Standard 5 students in primary schools will be required to attend school physically from February 7 to March 29, four days a week, in preparation for the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) on March 31.
It said that on Wednesdays, teaching should be virtual to allow for thorough school cleaning and that for the duration of the academic year, schools will be mandated to relax school uniform requirements, especially with regard to the color and type of school shoes.
It said that the School Feeding Program, which is already in operation for Term II, will continue to be available to eligible students in physical attendance.
The Ministry said that it held several consultation meetings with stakeholders over the past three months regarding the operations of schools this term.
“While there are many different views on the return to physical school and how it should be implemented, the major concerns centered around the safety of all school personnel, and the quality of life and education to which the children of Trinidad and Tobago are exposed,” the statement said with the ministry noting that it remains committed to working with and learning from all stakeholders and making decisions in the best interest of the nation’s children.
It said detailed guidelines will be sent to schools and made available to the public, “as the cooperation of parents continues to be crucial to the operations of schools, especially in this time of transition.
“The Government maintains the position that COVID-19 vaccines are available, and continue to be the best protection against becoming grievously ill if students contract the virus. Parents are therefore strongly encouraged to vaccinate eligible children as they return to the classroom. “
Trinidad and Tobago has recorded 3, 320 deaths and 107,000 infections linked to the COVID-19 pandemic since the first case was registered in March 2020.
