St Kitts and Nevis reopen schools for face-to-face learning

Basseterre: Doors of the schools in St Kitts and Nevis have been re-opened for the students on Monday, January 24, 2022. Although, the Ministry of Education has asked the school management authorities to ensure students, teachers, and other staff’s safety while assuring the COVID-19 health protocols and guidelines are being abided by.  

Two weeks ago, the Education Minister, Jonel Powell, announced that to assure the safety of students and the other school staff amid the ongoing COVID-19 breakout, the Federal Cabinet decided to close the educational institutions until January 24, 2022. 

The education ministry, in partnership with health ministry, kept an eye on the condition of a novel coronavirus in St Kitts and Nevis, after which the decision was taken to re-start the offline teaching. 

Announcing the re-opening of face-to-face classes, the Education Minister, in a recorded message, asserted, “The Ministry of Education places on record its high commendation for parents, teachers, and ancillary staff for their sacrificial work with our students during the last two weeks. Your commitment and devotion to duty have not gone unnoticed”. 

Although, the students have been advised to remain in the school premises during their lunch breaks, or either can purchase their meals from the cafeteria. Education Minister, further underscoring the numerous guidelines for school campuses, urged the students with any flu-like symptoms to stay at their homes and seek medical guidance from a Doctor. In such cases, parents are required to inform the school; authorities about the health update of their child. 

Moreover, parents or guardians who visit their children in school must make an appointment with the principal or teacher prior to visiting the OR ward.  

Besides this, he asked the students to utilise the opportunity and study hard while following the health measures also, adding the ministry is doing their best to ensure to provide a safer environment in educational institutions so that the parents and students can remain stress-free. 

“Therefore, the Ministry of Education will do all in its power to ensure that the nation’s children can learn in safe and healthy environments. School administrators and teachers at all institutions are required to continue the enforcement of the non-pharmaceutical measures given from the onset of the pandemic in 2020,” Minister Powell added. N