EDUCATION Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly suggested on Friday social distancing in schools could become less than the six feet used in general society as a covid19 protocol and even less than the three feet recommended by the US-based Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.)
She was replying in the House of Representatives to a private motion by Tabaquite MP Anita Haynes which claimed the Government needed to do more for education.
On February 7 a statement from her ministry headlined Physical Reopening of Schools for Term II 2021/2022 referred to "operations of schools at a capacity level which allows for distancing requirements," although not specifying a distance. That notice added that pupils in Forms 1-3 would return to the physical classroom on February 7 "on a rotational basis" to be arranged by school principals, such that "all students should be required to attend school physically at minimum two days per week, and five days in a 10-day cycle."
Form 4 and 5 pupils and Standard 5 had previously returned to physical school, while other forms had made do with online classes.
Gadsby-Dolly told the House that most countries have sent their children back out to school and Trinidad and Tobago must do likewise.
The minister said a year-long study in "two States" had looked at data on one million children regarding how social distancing affected the spread of covid19.
"One of their conclusions was that less than three feet distancing did not impact on a large increase in the spread of covid19."
Gadsy-Dolly said that was significant for TT to look in considering the transition back of pupils to the physical classroom.
"One of the things that causes a real complexity at this time is that the schools cannot accommodate all of the students they used to if there is social distancing of three feet – which the CDC recommends – or even six feet.
"So when we speak of getting back to normalcy, we also have to consider those things, that if there is social distancing we are still going to have that rotation which does not benefit our students in having a full five-day week of school. So all of those things are being considered as we take our students back on this transition to the classroom which is the major thing which will restore access to equity in education."
Otherwise, she promise more classroom aides to help special needs pupils. Gadsy-Dolly also used the occasion to lament parents who join in fights with school children, as has been recently caught on video at at least one school in TT.
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