NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Minister of Education Glenys Hanna-Martin said yesterday that she is awaiting the recommendations and advice of the Ministry of Health and its experts on the reopening of schools.
This comes amid a surge of coronavirus cases that are thought to be the result of the more transmissible omicron COVID variant.
The government had hoped to return to face-to-face learning in a hybrid model in the new year, but Eyewitness News understands high-level discussions were ongoing with stakeholders about the surge of cases and the threat to students.
“If it (the advice) represents a change, we will have to make an announcement, but we have not been given that advice,” Hanna-Martin told Eyewitness News.
“The Ministry of Education is in dialogue with the Ministry of Health on the issue of the reopening of school and we expect that advice by tomorrow (today).
“If the advice goes in a particular direction, we will make a statement, but we have to see what the advice is.
“Right now, we are aiming to open, but there are a lot of cases, so we have to see what their advice is.”
When contacted, Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) President Belinda Wilson said she will await any announcement before commenting.
Schools were expected to open on January 11.
The government has stressed the importance of returning students to the classrooms as an estimated 15,000 students were either not participating or not consistently logging onto the virtual learning platforms.
Right now, we are aiming to open, but there are a lot of cases, so we have to see what their advice is.
– Minister of Education Glenys Hanna-Martin
Samples have been sent to Panama to determine whether The Bahamas is being impacted by the omicron variant, however, government officials and health experts believe the spike in cases is indicative of the variant and the beginning of a fourth wave.
Last week, Hanna-Martin said she would hate for anything to interfere with students returning to the classroom as it’s “their future and the hope of humanity going forward” at risk.
At the time and before the spike in cases, which peaked at 330 on Christmas Day, Hanna-Martin said: “We’re moving full speed ahead to open the schools.”
Diagnostic testing was planned for each student to assess their standing academically and whether there have been learning gaps.
We have been consistently told for the last 3 months that we have to learn to live with Covid-19.
A spike in cases and now it’s like we can’t live with Covid-19. Everyone talks tough when cases are low, but when the cases begin to spike…….. Oh my?
2 years of missing education in a population of children with a D- average – what we sow in the wind, we will reap in a whirlwind 🙁