Government eyeing September reopening of schools

THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO FULLY REOPEN SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE IN
SEPTEMBER, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo announced in a televised news conference at the
Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) Friday.
Jagdeo explained that the reopening of all schools is part of a wider national plan for normalcy to
return to the country following more than a year of disruption due to the global COVID-19
pandemic.
The reopening, Jagdeo explained, is also to help the learning sector grapple better with multiple
issues of learning confronting the nation’s schools.
The COVID-19 global pandemic which continues to buffet global economies has not spared the
education sector, and Guyana was forced to shutdown schools in 2020 among a menu of
emergency measures to help limit the spread of the contagious and deadly virus, first detected in
Wuhan, China in 2019.
Since then, the outbreak has infected some 166 million persons worldwide with more than 3
million deaths.
In Guyana, 349 citizens have so far died according to the latest figures.
The Health and Education Ministries have been the local situation and via ongoing collaboration
decision makers have agreed schools will remain closed for the rest of the academic year and
reopen fully in September. Health authorities expect that by then, a substantial percentage of the
700,000 population should be fully vaccinated to limit the spread of the killer disease.
Education Minister, Priya Manickhand in making the recent announcement said: “For all classes
across the country we are going to keep schools closed for the remaining days in May and for the
months June, July and August…except for those that have already returned to the classrooms,
which are Grades 10, 11 and 12 or 4 th , 5 th and 6 th Forms.”

Although getting vaccinated is still voluntary in Guyana, Manickchand implored nationals to
take the jab as part of their duty to themselves, families and the country, since the government
has invested significant sums to acquire sufficient doses to inoculate the entire country.
“We expect that people are going to be responsible although we are not making vaccination
mandatory. If persons are going to be responsible in getting vaccinated and using the only proven
scientific way of bending, the curve of the COVID 19 disease, we are going to be able to resume
a state of relative normalcy. We expect therefore to reopen schools in September 2021 to every
grade level and we intend to work very hard to ensure that happens,” she promised.
Meanwhile, the Minister also disclosed that the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) is
currently revisiting a January decision to push the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate
(CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) tests usually written in
June to either July or August.
“We have much options on the table that could possibly change that timeline. You would recall
that when we fixed the dates for the NGSA (National Grade Six Assessment) exams we fixed
that date consciously knowing (when) CXC would set their dates and we ensured that the NGSA
was falling outside that timeline,” the Minister explained.
“If CXC changes their dates it could impact significantly on our NGSA. I want to assure you
now that we heard parents, teachers and students when they said that they would be ready for
those exams in August and we are going to fight very hard to try and deliver those exams
efficiently and smoothly, and in a way that is in our children’s best interest in August,” the
Minister said.
The Education Minister however declared that if this changes she will let the nation know.
“As it stands right now I encourage NGSA teachers, students and parents to prepare as
though the exams are going to be in August,” Manickchand emphasised with the guarantee
she will inform the nation if CXC’s decision cross-cuts the Guyanese exams timelines.