NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Minister of Education Jeffrey Lloyd said yesterday independent schools have the discretion to open to students “as they wish”, though he welcomed them to follow the strategic guidelines being rolled out for public schools.
Lloyd was asked to specify the policy for private schools as he detailed the Ministry of Education’s plan to reopen schools on September 21.
“As private schools know they operate independently — open and close as they wish, [and] design and execute their curriculum as they wish,” he told Eyewitness News.
“If they choose to coordinate their schedules and operations with ours, as some have done, they are welcomed to do so.”
The minister said most private schools are registered with the National Accreditation & Equivalency Council (NAECOB), which issues guidelines.
He also pointed out most belong to the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS), an accrediting body for independent schools.
According to Lloyd, when schools open on September 21 learning will be facilitated virtually across the country with the intention of transitioning to one of two models: blended learning and traditional in-person learning, depending of the spread of the virus in various jurisdictions.
He said traditional in-person classes could be offered in schools in the southern islands of The Bahamas for example where there have been few or zero cases of COVID-19.
He said on islands such as New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco and others, which he described as “urban centers”, a blended learning approach is more feasible.
He pointed out that the epidemiology of the virus will determine when this can occur.
Eyewitness News reported yesterday the government is partnering with a number of entities, including churches, to offer “care centres” — supplemental classrooms off campus to accommodate students.
The minister said the measure was eyed due to a lack of physical space to socially distancing in schools on more densely populated islands such as New Providence.
The care centers will be staffed with ministry approved education officials, outfitted with appropriate technology and high-speed WiFi, and identified in close proximity to the respective schools as a “school off campus”.
For example, St Agnes Anglican Church’s schoolroom would be used to accommodate students of CR Walker, according to Lloyd.
Both institutions are located off Baillou Hill Road.
“We are well on our way to engaging quite a number of them,” Lloyd said Sunday..
He added: “Some students would be on campus and others would be in the care center; still being instructed by the teacher; still being instructed in real-time, but just on a different campus, so that we can observe social distancing.”
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