Chief Education Officer (Ag.) Joy Adamson (left) accepts the donation on behalf of the Ministry of Education from Minister of Energy and Water Resources Wilfred Abrahams.
The return to school is expected to be a bit safer for a handful of students and teachers as they were gifted masks by the Barbados National Oil Company Ltd, National Petroleum Corporation and Barbados National Oil Terminal Company Ltd. With a presentation conducted by Minister of Energy and Water Resources Wilfred Abrahams yesterday, six schools within the catchment area of those companies were given a leg up as they prepared to move back into the classroom.
Speaking during a short ceremony at the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, Minister Abrahams said that he was proud of work and generosity shown by what he called the ‘energy group’ and stated that it was important to assist the other arms of government.
With two masks expected to go to each Class 4 student, teacher and principal at St. Catherine’s, St Bartholomew, Luther Thorne, Reynold Weekes, St. Philip’s and Gordon Walters, Abrahams said that it was necessary to ensure that students were protected once back in the classroom. “The Ministry has seen the need for the critical students to go back to the classroom – those who are doing 11-plus, those who are doing certain secondary school exams – that it is necessary for them to actually have teacher-driven education. To go back to the classroom to be able to get that one-on-one, hands-on tutoring that there really is no substitute for it. Even if we get to complete E-learning, there is still going to be a place for hands-on teaching. But when we send the children back to the classroom we have to make sure we are doing it in a safe way.” he said.
Taking the opportunity to heap praise on the teachers, Abrahams said that they needed to be lauded for their commitment during this time. “I also want to acknowledge the hard work of the teachers during this period. This has not been easy for a lot of the teachers. We had thought to phase in the technological inputs into education but they were thrust upon the teachers with little chance and little warning and they had to hit the ground running and I want to commend the Ministers, I want to commend the Chief Education Officer, I want to commend all the teachers in Barbados who seized upon this opportunity and have made the best of a bad situation.” he said.