On Wednesday night we told you that school would reopen for face to face classes on April 12th, one week after Easter.
It's a Ministry Of Education decision that's come like a bolt from the blue for some parents, causing widespread concern about the financial challenge of getting children equipped for a return to the classroom.
But tonight the Special Envoy for Families and Children, Rossana Briceno, who is also part of the COVID-19 Education Task Force, explains that the return to school will be carried out in phases. Phase one begins on April 12th followed by Phase two which will start on May 10th.
And this morning when pressed to explain the process of the phased reopening, Mrs. Briceno told the media that while a return to school is not yet mandatory, we have to start making moves to get our kids back into classroom.
Rossana Briceno, Special Envoy for Families and Children
"We all agree that schools have to reopen at some point, so we are all gearing up for the reopening in September. Yes there are phases, phase one and phase two, which are not mandatory and I think our families need to understand that it is not you have to do this. The schools don't have to do anything. We were looking that schools, parents, can test run what they already have in place to see if it works or if it doesn't work so that when we start in June, they are more than ready. So that is basically what we are looking at. I know there is a lot of confusion out there and assumptions that owe but we are not ready and dehn di throw this pan we right now. No; this is a work in progress. This has been happening from last year, through the D.E.C.s where we had to put learning continuity plans in place. Every couple months, they want us to tighten it and tighten it. That is what we were supposed to be doing. Now, I know that some schools in the remote areas, the most vulnerable populations may never be ready and that's why the minister has said and it is being said over and over, there is no one size fits all. So dehn noh wah give yo wah template and say everybody must meet this. Nobody will be able to meet it. But you know what your needs are, in your community, in your school so you adapt to what your environment is, what your school culture is."
Reporter
"We understand that it's a phased reopening, so not everything is going to have to happen immediately. Still a lot of parents who don't understand the process yet are crying out about their finances and even in a phased reopening they are saying that we are unemployed, I don't even know when I'll be employed, how can the government expect me to be ready in just a few months to get my child back into the swing of things. What would you say to that?"
Rossana Briceno
"I would say take it one day at a time, it's not mandatory. If you as a parent feel that you are not ready to let go of your child, then don't. You have a choice. We are there to take care and to help with your children. If it means that if you send your child back to school and it will allow you to go and find a job, then let us do that for you in these phases, so that when school reopens and they are back to school a hundred percent or in shifts or cycles or whatever, you already have something that can help you. So it's not mandatory."
