MINISTRY OF EDUCATION CANCELS FACE TO FACE INSTRUCTION AT SCHOOLS FOR REMAINDER OF SCHOOL YEAR

Basseterre, St. Kitts, June 04, 2021 (SKNIS): The Ministry of Education has decided that the resumption of face-to-face instruction at schools will not take place for the rest of the school year. The decision was made in light of the current community spread of COVID-19.
 
On Thursday, June 03, Minister of Education, Honourable Jonel Powell, said that the decision was made easier given that schools would have closed naturally by the end of June.
 
“The Ministry of Education has taken the decision that we will not resume school for the purposes of face-to-face instructions for the remainder of the school year. This is a result of the community spread and the fact that we, as a Ministry, do not think that the risk is worth it to open schools in light of everything that is happening,” said Minister Powell at the prime minister’s monthly press conference.
 
He noted that primary school children will not be sitting any exams but will be assessed based on what they would have done for the school year thus far.
 
“…For primary school children, the curriculum reform that we have been undergoing for some time now has allowed for the continuous assessment of those children throughout the academic year and so they will not have any end of term or end of year examinations,” he said. “Their performances will be based on the continuous assessment that has taken place over the course of the year.”
 
As for secondary schools, students will be able to take their common examinations.
 
“Last week, we would have naturally begun examinations for some of those students and so, those students who would have been prepared prior to that and even during the last two weeks of closure through the online modality will still be able to write their common examinations. The Ministry will indicate to parents and students the modality in which they will have that opportunity,” said Minister Powell.
 
Minister Powell noted that the Ministry will be prioritizing the 5^th form students who are set to sit the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examinations by CXC.
 
Important to note as well is the closure of all Early Childhood Centres, which Minister Powell indicated will be closed until further notice.