NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (August 11, 2020) – Public primary and secondary schools on Nevis are on target to re-open on September 07 for the 2020-2021 school year, and the Ministry of Education is giving assurance that a “safety first” approach will be adopted for the re-opening process.

Mrs. Terenz Wallace-Warner, Documentations and Communications Officer at the Department of Education, making a presentation during the Nevis COVID-19 Emergency Operations Centre Briefing on August 10, 2020, said the Ministry continues to work in conjunction with the Ministry of Health to ensure all COVID-19 requirements and standards are in place for the start of the new school year.

“We want to reassure teachers, parents and students that we are working with health officials to create a solid plan that will maximise on the time we will have for learning, while ensuring the safety of all concerned,” she said.

Giving an update on the preparations for the new school year, Mrs. Wallace-Warner informed that annual summer training sessions for education officials, principals, teachers, and auxiliary staff of schools on Nevis commenced as of August 10, 2020.

She noted that principals are expected to report to duty on August 17 to begin their training and teachers are expected to report from August 24 for their training.

Hon. Troy Liburd, Junior Minister of Education in the Nevis Island Administration, said the Ministry of Education on Nevis is collaborating with the Ministry in St. Kitts to create a COVID-19 Compliance Requirements check list for the primary and secondary schools throughout the Federation.

This list will include the observation of minimum standards for sanitisation, cleaning, and social distancing parameters.

Minister Liburd told the Department of Information it is envisioned that the new school year will consist of a combination of in-class and virtual lessons, especially at it relates to the secondary schools.

“That is one of the issues being looked at, the best balance of virtual and in-class learning. We are hoping to do all in-class lessons for the younger student population on the island, the ones at the primary school level,” he said.

He assured that all relevant information on the re-opening of schools will be communicated in a timely manner.