Former Chief Education Officer Takes Ministry of Education to Task

Classes resumed on Monday for primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions across the country, despite a considerable spike in the number of active COVID-19 cases.  Former Chief Education Officer, Dr. Carol Babb, is the Secretary General of the United Democratic Party. Today she weighed in on the reopening of schools and the challenges that administrators are facing due to a lack of resources in the classrooms.

Dr. Carol Babb

Dr. Carol Babb, Former Chief Education Officer

“The principals are complaining, the complaint is that they don’t have supplies, that the Ministry of Education provides them with a link and they say, go on that link and if you need supplies, let us know and we will provide it for you.  Well, the link, the principals are complaining that they press the link and followed what they were to follow and there has been no response at all.  It is unclear what help, if any, will be forthcoming to struggling schools. One principal told me, he said they called him for supplies; he has about eight hundred students. He got a mop, a broom, a gallon of Chlorox and a gallon of Flash or something else. He said he didn’t go for it, it cost him more in gas to go and pick up the few supplies.  Children who are dependent on school transportation are left guessing about the availability of transportation. A safer reopening requires an investment from the government that goes way beyond an education media campaign. Yes, they’ve spent a lot of money on media campaigns… and you know what they did? Just before the opening of schools, Sunday night, to be exact, there were many, many messages going on. Principals were saying, many of our schools, many of our parents don’t have internet, they don’t have devices, so they do not have access that kind of information. The Ministry of Education, as the party leader said, they need to invest in tests. They need to ensure that vaccines are available for children five to twelve years old.”