SCHOOL RESUME

It was confusion and frustration for some and calm and order for others.

Yesterday, parents and students had two different experiences at two prominent secondary schools on the first day of the academic term.

Around 8:30 am, The Barbados Advocate visited the Ellerslie School to observe the morning proceedings. On a humid and hot morning, over a dozen parents stood on the sidelines as students approached the gate to have their temperature taken, sanitised their hands, and recorded their names for contact tracing.

Yesterday was the first school day for first form students, and while they would have felt anxious and uncertain about the new environment, parents were visibly agitated about other issues.

Some parents explained that they were confused about not receiving the correct times for their children to attend school. Other parents were upset about collecting books, interacting with school staff, and about obtaining information about the school schedule and the new school routine.

The Barbados Advocate contacted the Ellerslie Principal’s office, and they indicated that they were shocked that parents were standing outside.  The school official said that parents were given information in advance about the process. Parents would have been called individually, and the information about the first day and the weekly schedule are currently posted on the school’s website, www.ellerslieschoolbb.org.

The office indicated that provisions were being put in place to accommodate students who may not have electronic devices for online learning. The Principal’s Office explained that students would be interacting with their teachers on the GSuite platform.

All is well at QC

The Barbados Advocate also visited the Queen’s College campus, and the environment there was peaceful and organised. Teachers were conducting classes with the first form students in the school hall.

The Principal of the school, Dr. David Browne, explained that the school staff, the school PTA, volunteers from that organisation and the University of the West Indies (UWI) have been working together to ensure that there was a smooth transition of events on the first day of school at the St.James educational institution. The school will have a blended teaching approach like the other schools.

However, Dr.Browne noted that all teaching staff members were on the compound to provide online lessons and face-to-face classes to about four hundred students. On arrival, students also had their temperatures taken, sanitised their hands and recorded their names at the front the QC’s administration building.