Education Director says COVID protocols remain in place and school plants are ready to receive students in person

Director of Education Clare Browne says that all the protocols put in place for the reopening of schools, last year, will have to be followed when face-to-face learning resumes next Tuesday, November 2 .

This is a decision taken by the Cabinet, based on consultations with Browne and the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Rhonda Sealy-Thomas, and is reportedly grounded on the country’s present COVID-19 situation.

Although the returning students and teachers will be vaccinated, Browne says it is still important that they abide by the protocols.

Meanwhile, he says the respective school plants are, and have been, ready to accommodate the return of students since September.

He reports that a lot of work was done by the Board of Education over the summer period and that each institution received some level of repairs.

On another note, the Director of Education says that substitute teachers have been put in place to deal with the shortfall resulting from the vaccination mandate.

Browne admits that there is still a shortfall in replacing those teachers who remain at home.  This came about after a number of persons who had applied for substitute-teacher positions had a change of heart, he says.