Port of Spain – The Trinidad and Tobago government says secondary school students in Forms 1-3 will be required to attend classes at least twice a week when schools reopen for physical classes on February 7, following their closure due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Ministry of Education said that those students will be allowed to resume face-to-face classes on a rotational basis from February 7 and that there would also be a relaxation of the school uniform rules, particularly with types and colours of shoes.
It said that the details of this arrangement for each school will be communicated to parents and students by principals, but “all students should be required to attend school physically at a minimum of two days per week, and five days in a ten-day cycle”.
In addition, secondary school students who are not rostered for physical attendance are to be assigned asynchronous assignments.
“It is recognised that since February 2021, many teachers have been assigning asynchronous work for Forms 1-3 as they straddle both online and physical classes. Teachers have, and will continue to receive guidance and training in methods for maximising hybrid teaching approaches such as the flipped classroom, so that the effectiveness of asynchronous classes will be maximised,” the ministry said.
It was adding that teachers have also received the critical areas for curriculum completion, which will allow them to make the most of physical classes with students.
The ministry of education also announced that Standard 5 students in primary schools will be required to attend school physically from February 7 to March 29, four days a week, in preparation for the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) on March 31.
“The Government maintains the position that COVID-19 vaccines are available, and continue to be the best protection against becoming grievously ill if students contract the virus. Parents are therefore strongly encouraged to vaccinate eligible children as they return to the classroom,” a statement said.
Trinidad and Tobago has recorded 3 320 deaths and 107 000 infections linked to the COVID-19 pandemic since the first case was registered in march 2020. (CMC)
