2 Weeks into Hybrid Learning: Both Caution and Joy of Return

Today makes day-nine since a number of schools have been officially reopened to hybrid learning. It has been met with mixed reviews from parents and teachers, for which the Ministry of Education is aware. When the media caught up with Chief Executive Officer Dian Maheia, we asked for an update two weeks in.

Dian Maheia

Dian Maheia, C.E.O., Ministry of Education

“Very definitely we see the effects of the omicron spread right now. We do continue to see where there are reports of teachers and students who have contracted COVID and so there are requests for classrooms to close and by close, I mean shift to remote learning. So that’s what’s happening. If you have a teacher who is sick, then the class would move to distance learning; that sort of thing.  It really is not a standard response because the situations are not standard.  In some cases where the number of teachers who has gotten sick are so high that the school is unable to manage substitution, for example, then the entire school moves to remote learning for the recommending period. So that is something that we have been monitoring, we have been dealing with and I guess it is to be expected. And there is also the undeniable joy, the happiness of the students who are returning. We have to really acknowledge both ends of the spectrum where we are seeing students at all levels who are so excited to be back, teachers who are excited that they are able to engage with their children.”