No decision yet to close local schools

The Ministry of Education is being guided by science and medical evidence and as yet will not be closing local schools, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minister of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, Santia Bradshaw revealed the above, during an online consultation held by her Ministry, to address issues surrounding COVID-19 and its educational implications.

“I think first of all we have to be guided by the science and the data that exists presently and from all of the information received from both PAHO, the World Health Organisation and our medical teams here in Barbados and the Ministry of Health, all of the information points to one single thing, which is that the data does not suggest that our children are at the highest risk,” Minister Bradshaw indicated.

“I am no doctor, but I lean to the medical expertise of the doctors in a situation like this and at all junctures in the decision making, we have been guided by the medical professions, we’ve been guided by the science. The one thing that the Government of Barbados cannot do, is to have knee-jerk reactions to this situation,” she continued.

“Again, there are no students who have been identified as being persons who have contracted in Barbados, this virus. From what the medical evidence is suggesting, it is still pretty much contained. Those persons (with COVID-19) who would have come into Barbados, they would have been dealt with at point and I think we have to be guided as a country in that way,” she added.

“I will also make the other point to you, that we find ourselves in a situation where we also can’t be reacting simply for the sake of reacting and we have to look at the facts in particular in Barbados,” the Education Minister maintained.

“So when we close, we will close on the basis of the data, on the medical evidence… weighing all of the factors and all of the risks that are presented at the time,” she later noted.

She meanwhile suggested that there are “far greater implications in the educational system and the social welfare system, than persons might imagine” in relation to the closure of schools, and these also need to be considered. These can be immediate, as well as into the future.

Bradshaw however did acknowledge that she will be in talks with the Cabinet of Barbados and will likely consider if schools need to be closed by this Friday, to allow for teachers to meet next week to finalise plans for a virtual classroom and to ensure schools are ready for COVID-19 in terms of being sanitary, following the Easter period. However, she will return with that announcement later, if it is indeed necessary. (RSM)