Education Minister of COVID-19, Implications and Way Forward

One of the preventative measures taken in preparation against the novel coronavirus is that schools at all levels and across the country will be closed for two weeks leading into the Easter holidays. Classes are expected to resume on Monday, April twentieth. A press conference was hosted by the Ministry and Education Minister Patrick Faber, who stressed that school closes at the end of Friday and not before. Faber says that the ministry does not expect teachers to be at school. As it relates to the school’s support staff, however, Faber says that management will make that decision.  During the two weeks, students will participate in home-based learning, which involves educational activities that students can engage in while at home. Such activities include readings and assignments. The government’s decision to suspend classes, according to Faber, applies to all educational institutions.

Patrick Faber

Patrick Faber, Minister of Education

“If you are wondering if this applies to private schools and tertiary level institutions, the answer to that is yes. We expect that all educational institutions comply with this two week school closure. Most of these schools of course except for the private schools are grant aided schools, at the tertiary level I mean so that those six forms across the country are expected to close during this two week period as well. We expect to have the complaint of Galen and of the University of Belize as well. During this time of school closure we expect that home base learning will happen. We mean that educational activities that students can engage in at home to build on or retain knowledge and skills will take place. We are stressing that this home based learning is not a replacement for school based learning and the objective as this time is to merely engage students during the two week period of school closure. We have had questions as to whether or not schools can arrange for onsite small groups student learning activities during the two week period of school closure and the ministry advises against this. So that our instruction is that students should not be required to go to school during the two week period of school closure.”