Teachers – Keep Preparing, Get Contingency Plans Going

Patrick Faber

But even as a date for the reopening of schools has not been set, Minister of Education Patrick Faber stressed the need for teachers to continue to prepare for the eventual reopening. The Minister said teachers are to spend time on contingency planning if the situation is to further deteriorate and reopening is further delayed.

Patrick Faber, Minister of Education

“Teachers and principals in the meantime are required to continue the preparations for the eventual reopening of schools and to develop their learning continuity plans and distance education resources in the event that there is an even prolonged school closure. Managing authorities of schools are responsible to ensure that the schools under their charge are on track with the development of these learning continuity plans. The Ministry of Education will be guided by the Ministry of Health on its revised plans for the reopening of schools. The situation will be monitored closely and decisions made accordingly. For example in the areas with increased or confirmed community spread, school reopening may be further delayed while in areas with low risk and no apparent community spread, schools will be allowed to open for face to face instruction. Some may ask why is it that the ministry would even decide to reopen schools during the COVID-19 pandemic and for that we say, we remind people that schools have been closed since March twentieth of this year and this has left over a hundred thousand Belizean students out of extended period of time. These prolonged periods without schooling can have detrimental and long term personal and social economic effects.”