Registrar of the Independent Schools Unit in the Ministry of Education, Dr. Euphema Burke-Robinson, is confirming that the Ministry gave four private schools permission to resume face-to-face classes before the decision to scrap that component of phased reopening of schools.
Dr. Burke-Robinson says these schools submitted formal requests for an assessment of their readiness to resume in-person learning by the Health Ministry.
She adds that they were allowed to resume classes because they implemented the necessary safety measures stipulated by the Ministry.
Dr. Burke listed the four schools that were given permission to resume face-to-face learning.
Dr Burke also pointed out that she was not aware of other schools resuming face-to-face learning.
Dr. Euphema Burke-Robinson, Registrar of the Independent Schools Unit in the Education Ministry.
Meanwhile, Acting Chief Education Officer, Dr Kasan Troupe, says the One Way Preparatory school in St. Andrew was not among the four schools that were given approval by the Education Ministry to resume face-to-face classes.
An investigation by our news centre on Wednesday revealed that One Way Preparatory, was holding in-person classes in the midst of a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Dr. Troupe noted that the school should have informed the Education Ministry that they resumed in-person classes.
Dr. Troupe says sometimes schools move ahead of the Education Ministry once they have received the Health Ministry’s stamp of approval.
Yesterday, Education Minister, Fayval Williams, told Nationwide News that the approval was given to the schools by the Health Ministry before the Education Ministry announced that there should be no face-to-face classes.
Dr. Troupe says the new guidelines were communicated in writing to schools days after the decision was publicly announced.
Dr Kasan Troupe, Acting Chief Education Officer, speaking last evening on Nationwide@5 with Cliff Hughes and Tyrone Reid.
