More schools to start face-to-face learning — Williams
MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Education Minister Fayval Williams says more schools are being assessed to facilitate face-to-face learning at the end of the ministry’s two-week pilot project, which is now taking place in 17 schools.
Williams, who was speaking at the handing over of tablets to nine students of the Bellefield Primary and Infant School yesterday, said the assessment is being used to guide the ministry’s decision to determine the schools that will participate in the next phase of face-to-face learning.
“So far we would have had four days [of face-to-face learning] from 16 schools and three days from one school. The schools have been doing well… Right now, we are assessing other schools to see how best we can bring those on,” she said.
“We are not just waiting until the end of the two weeks. We are actively seeing what we are learning [and] are there things that we missed, for the next round, what we need to do better at. We are trying to determine the next step even before we get to the end of the two weeks,” Williams told journalists yesterday.
According to Williams, it would be logical to continue face-to-face learning at the 17 schools.
“The schools that are in session now would continue, that would be a logical continuation and then the next ones to come on, as long as they can get ready by the end of this pilot, then they would be on,” stressed Williams.
She is however cautious about the ministry’s decision as to which schools will be added based on variables.
“It is not an announcement just yet. We are still looking at schools to see how best we can take the next decision,” she said.
“Even though you might see a school that is nearby, and it looks similar, you have to look at all the variables, not just saying the school is close by. We have come at this from a very objective perspective… We look at the population, the enrolment versus the capacity,” she said.
The education minister added: “We look at the number of communities through which students have to pass through to get to school. We look at their water situation [whether tanks are available and if there are issues with] water lock-offs. We also look at the [number of COVID-19 cases] in the community [and] Internet connectivity to decide which schools should come on board.”
