The education ministry has confirmed that schools island-wide will reopen on September 6, 2021.
In a release sent out on Friday (August 27) the ministry said that despite the resumption of the school term, students would not be back in physical classrooms.
According to the ministry, students would be taught through a variety of modalities, namely online/computer-aided learning, audio-visual (television and radio) and printed learning packages or kits.
When does face-to-face classes resume?
While expressing a desire to get at least the younger students back into the physical school environment, the ministry said it was uncertain as to when face-to-face classes would begin.
According to the ministry, face-to-face classes would likely resume mid September but would be contingent on an assessment conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Wellness.
“Our objective is to return early childhood/infant and primary school to the face-to-face mode as soon as we are able to. We advise households to be vaccinated in order to get our students 12 years and under back into the face-to-face mode as quickly as possible.” said the ministry in the release.
Secondary school must meet 65 percent vaccination target to reopen
As for older students, namely those in secondary schools, the ministry said face-to-face classes would only resume once 65 per cent of the school population is inoculated.
“While we continue to provide access to education for all our students, face-to-face engagement will only be possible if our students 12 and older are vaccinated. Students in secondary schools will therefore return to face-to-face once their school achieves 65% vaccination rate or higher, ” said the ministry.
“The modalities previously established will therefore continue until schools population data are assessed for the vaccination rate and permission given by the Ministry of Health and Wellness for face-to-face,” added the ministry.
The latest data shows that approximately 28,000 students received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
