Dominica: Face-to-face classes to resume in a phased manner, says PM Skerrit

Prime Minister of Dominica Dr Roosevelt Skerrit indicated that schools would reopen islandwide in a phased manner.

Wednesday, 26th January 2022

Prime Minister of Dominica Dr Roosevelt Skerrit during special address on Thursday 28 October 2021.

Roseau, Dominica: Prime Minister of Dominica Dr Roosevelt Skerrit indicated that schools would reopen islandwide in a phased manner. He said discussions are ongoing while the final decision is still pending. During Annou Pale on Sunday, PM Skerrit announced that the Cabinet is working on creating more extensive guidelines as the government plans to resume face to face classes. He said all schools would operate in a phased manner, designed specifically considering the institution's population, size, and other aspects. PM said schools would accommodate pupils by grade levels based on the standard population size while adhering to the social distancing criteria. "The protocols and rules will be made public, and a verified date for the resumption of face-to-face classes on a phase-by-phase basis will be announced shortly," he said. He added that these procedures would also enable the government to review and evaluate the implementation to determine the total return of face-to-face learning. Skerrit praised the Ministry of Education for its hard work and efforts over the last two years, which he said ensured children's ongoing learning both online and in person. After the coronavirus cases in Dominica experienced a surge in 2020, the Ministry of Education had shifted schools to opt for online learning. Online learning has been widely used islandwide since the 2021-2022 academic year. The government of Dominica also worked closely with internet service providers to ensure that all households with students get inexpensive availability of internet services. All families with students are also eligible to get fast internet plans at only $10/month. Prime Minister Dr Roosevelt Skerrit's government also facilitated free internet-enabled smart devices to school students after a study showed that 20197 primary school students were without any device to participate in online learning. Not only that, to make online learning easy, all teachers were trained to make the virtual classes interesting for students.