Jamaica to return face-to face classes in September

The Government of Jamaica is preparing to start physical face to face classes for the new year of schooling from September.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness said while addressing the Town Hall on vaccine sensitization of the education system on Friday virtually.

PM Holness said that they were preparing for that (face-to-face classes). The Ministry of Education is ready for that. They want their teachers to be prepared for that. Holness added that the decision to return to face-to-face instruction would be driven by the public health science and balanced by the social and economic imperatives.

Prime Minister said that the Cabinet of Jamaica takes into consideration all the recommendations that come from the Ministry of Education, from the Ministry of Health (and Wellness), from the Ministry of Finance (and the Public Service) as we balance them because at the end of the day, we don’t want you to survive coronavirus (COVID-19) and die of hunger — that’s the stark reality.

So the PM wants that the citizens should survive the COVID-19 and should continue with their jobs similarly. He wants young citizens to survive and continue their education during COVID-19.

PM Holness noticed the drastic hit of the third wave of a pandemic, but still, he urged the citizens to get vaccinated as it is the main element to be safe in this time.

PM Holness stated that if till the following weekend the government ensures that they had 80 to 90 per cent of their teachers vaccinated, then they would be on a good run to guarantee that incoming September, they might have the schools re-opened.

PM said that he wanted the country to appreciate that they want to go back to face-to-face but that all depends on how the citizens behave. The decisions they make.

Face-to-face learning was halted in March 2020 after the first reported occurrence of the COVID-19 in Jamaica.