‘January 4, 2021 just the date for formal resumption’ – Min. Manickchand

Minister of Education, Hon. Priya Manickchand says schools are scheduled to reopen for the Easter term on January 4, 2021. Only students in Grades 10, 11 and 12 are expected to turn out for face-to-face interactions.

The Minister made this disclosure on Friday during an interview on Kaieteur Radio.

She explained that when schools reopen it will be for online learning, the use of worksheets and classroom interaction.

“When we reopen, it will be reopening in whatever form your instruction took in this first term. If it’s face-to-face engagement, then you open for face-to-face engagement. If it’s online, the instruction resumes online on the fourth.

Minister Manickchand emphasised that January 4, 2021 is “just the date for formal resumption of interaction and at this point, no other grade is expected to turn out.”

Further, she gave assurances that any decisions made concerning the reopening of schools across the board will be publicised.

“Any decision we take about schools, you won’t hear it through the grapevine, we will come and sit at a press conference, we’re going to tell everyone what it is we decide to do,” Minister Manickchand said.

On November 9, the Ministry reopened schools for students in Grades 10, 11 and 12. This decision was taken to allow senior secondary schools to prepare for CXC, CAPE and GSCE examinations in 2021.

The Ministry has also been issuing worksheets to students at all levels countrywide and has been airing programmes on the Guyana Learning Channel to ensure that they are engaged during the pandemic.