With many Jamaican students suffering the effects of learning loss after being outside the physical classroom for 19 months, Dr Angela Brown-Burke, opposition spokesperson on education and training, is insisting that all public schools be reopened.

According to Brown-Burke, “despite the mismanagement of the Pfizer vaccine distribution, our children’s education cannot continue to be placed on hold. A generation of children is at risk of irreversible learning loss, malnutrition and poor mental health outcomes”.

Given this, she has put forward a variety of methods that could facilitate the return of students to the classroom, including dividing classes into smaller groups so that every student can attend in-person classes for at least one day per week.

Brown-Burke has called for the education ministry to make arrangements for the re-opening of schools beginning no later than next week, with the following steps taken immediately:

1. Development of a coordinated approach by the ministries of education, transport and works and health for a transportation plan to minimise crowding and exposure for students using public transportation.

2. Utilise the plans developed over a year ago, by school administrations, MOEYI and Ministry of Health officials which determined the maximum capacity of each classroom while observing physical distancing guidelines.

3. Enforce strict adherence to COVID protocols such as mask wearing, hand washing and sanitising. Ensure that parents/guardians are aware of and satisfied with the arrangements.

4. Parents/guardians should be given the option of having students participate in online classes, only if they have underlying conditions. Parents should agree to keep children at home if they feel sick or are showing any of the listed symptoms of COVID-19.

In addition, Brown-Burke has also suggested that the education minister appoint social workers and additional guidance counsellors to ensure that the psycho-social needs of the country’s children are met.

She noted that all should be concerned about the growing inequality among children, as too many of them remain out of school without any access to structured education.

While expressing concern with the lack of technological infrastructure available in some communities, which cause major hindrances to participation in school, the opposition spokeswoman, recommended that principals consider allowing groups of students during specified hours to use school facilities to complete their work.

She noted, however, that this arrangement would need to be carefully managed by schools.