UPDATE: Schools to reopen with ‘face to face’ learning Sept 6, 2021
“The official start day for classes will be Monday the 6th of September, 2021. All primary school students will return for full school day of face to face instructions,” Dr Wheatley disclosed.
He said the school hours for primary schools will be 8:40am to 3:30pm.
ESHS on shift system
According to the Education Minister, all students of the Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) will attend classes utilising a half-day shift system.
He said students on the am shift will begin at 8:00am and students on the pm session would begin at 12:30pm.
“The decision to have a shift system is to ensure that all students have an opportunity to experience the school environment.”
Face to face necessary for some students
Dr Wheatley said that as a result of the drastic reduction in COVID-19 cases in the territory, the Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC) unified command team was in a position to make recommendations to Cabinet on amendments to be made on the existing Public Health Order.
He said these amendments include the relaxing of constraints for schools, which means the Ministry can now outline the plans for education for the upcoming academic year.
“All schools public and private will be allowed to open and students will be free to return to school campuses and engage in face to face instruction for the 2021/2022 academic year.”
Dr Wheatley said this decision has been made “because we recognise some students will benefit from being in the classroom environment and we are laser-focused on our students’ success.”
Schools must abide by COVID-19 protocols
The Minister emphasised on safety and noted that schools are mandated to abide by the protocols successfully implemented in the previous academic year and “we will take measures to ensure that these measures are adhered to because we cannot afford to take chances with our students or teachers’ health.”
Dr Wheatley also said the academic school year will actually begin on Monday, August 23, 2021 with a Virtual Professional Day for all educators in the territory.
The theme for school year is ‘Educating all in changing times- Every learner succeeds’.
According to the Education Minister, the theme is a continuation of the one from last year but expanded to further emphasise that every leaner will have success in their academic pursuits.
See previous article published August 10, 2021
Education Minister to make announcement on school reopening tonight
Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) is scheduled to make a long-anticipated announcement on the re-opening of schools via a virtual address tonight, August 10, 2021.
The address is scheduled to begin at 8:00 pm on the Facebook page of the Government of the Virgin Islands and simulcasted at CBN radio 90.9FM in addition to ZBVI 780AM.
It is expected that, in addition to the update on school re-opening, the minister may also touch on public health measures regarding students and a possible return to full in-person learning.
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20 Responses to “UPDATE: Schools to reopen with ‘face to face’ learning Sept 6, 2021”
under the past education minister he never rebuild the school for our children
The winds of 2017 damage the only public high school and it took until 2019
education systems all over this universe have suffered because of a pandemic
Some of we rather send the children into public settings so we can run out and make the dollar
Was so hoping at least for Sept month online to ascertain what we are truly dealing with between delta next door, and hurricane season hovering. Everybody wants school open, bar open, loitering and gathering. Are you all ready for what you all are asking for? Vaccinated or not
TEACHERS doing nothing not in the classroom,
sending all the works home for the parents to do .
its time for the children to go back to school thanks.
MR MINISTER.
Positivity is better than negativity and passivity. Don't you think so? Say yes.