By Caribbean News Global contributor
CASTRIES, St Lucia – On Friday, January 8, the ministry of health and wellness (MOH) received confirmation of 12 new cases of COVID-19; “this brings the total number of cases diagnosed in the country to 395, and 81 active cases”, amid government policy to re-open schools, January 11, 2021.
Previously, the usefulness of Dr Gale T. C. Rigobert, queried: “What benefit is there in a laptop”? Certainly, COVID-19 has made a wash of that statement, in the light of “physical distancing” and “e-learning”.
St Lucia’s minister of education queries: ‘What benefit is a laptop’?
The re-opening of the island schools is said to be guided by strict COVID-19 protocols, and extensive consultation process, that allows students physical access to the classroom.
“We have 34 schools that will still be under the alternate day approach because of the numbers that they have. But what we have endeavored to do is to ensure that these alternate day students get at least three days of face-to-face interaction complemented by online instruction,” said, chief education officer, Dr Fiona Philip-Mayer.
In the last reports of COVID-19, the MOH said: “All 12 cases are Saint Lucian nationals ranging in age from 8 months old to 47 years.”
Conversely, the ministry of education has outlined safety measures stating it is “important for the public to note is that wherever possible we have tried to ensure that all Kindergarten, Grade Six, and Form Five students return for as many face-to-face days as per the cycle. Many of those are secondary schools.”
According to the chief environmental health officer, Parker Ragnanan, “We encourage that hand sanitizers be placed at strategic locations throughout the schools so that maximum use can be gained from them. It is important that surfaces—the buildings, floors, desks and classrooms—be cleaned and sanitized on a daily basis. So there will be a full-scale cleaning exercise at the end of every day, with intermittent sanitizing during the day,” added, “We also encourage schools to develop a very clear cleaning schedule so that everyone is guided.”
In the light of reopening schools a statement from the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) spokesperson for Education Senator Guibion Ferdinand, warned, owing to several concerns expressed by key stakeholders of education, (including the Early Childhood Administrators and the Saint Lucia Teachers Union (SLTU)) the SLP urges the government to take heed of these concerns.
“Among the issues raised are a lack of consultation, as expressed by the early childhood administrators as well as concerns of the sanitization of schools as expressed by the SLTU. The SLP also notes that the government has not re-implemented and expanded the one laptop per child programme, neither have they adapted to ensuring that the use of technology in schools becomes a priority – an area which the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted as essential for schooling.”
According to Senator Ferdinand: “The SLP has consistently articulated that the education of our children must be made a priority and believes that the teaching/learning environment should be safe and conducive to instruction. Therefore, any decision to return students and staff to the physical school environment should be made with due care and consideration for health and safety concerns of ALL stakeholders.”
In this case, said Senator Ferdinand, “we call on the government to ensure that a good thing is not done badly; that they address these and other legitimate stakeholder concerns to avoid unnecessary difficulties with the safe reopening of school.”
“Our children deserve the best and we wish them good health and success, especially during these uncertain times,” he concluded.
