As government prepares to reopen schools across the country, the Ministry of Education is urging teachers to be vaccinated in order to create a safer environment for teaching and learning.
A letter dated March 11, 2021 and sent from the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education to all heads of educational institutions states that schools are scheduled conditionally to be opened on April 12th, 2021, but all teachers are to report to their respective schools from March 17-19 from 9.00 a.m to 3 p.m.
“The primary concern of the Ministry of Education is for students and teachers to operate in a conducive environment, where all students are able to experience the
benefits of quality education,” the letter states.
The letter also states that the period March 17-19 will be used for
“professional development purposes and consultation on the evolving protocols for the anticipated school term with the following focus: assessment of students’ online engagement; academic Recovery Programme where schools are expected to devise plans that focus on recovering students’ learning loss, particularly the students
who were not engaged online; review of the achievements of the online learning and its sustainability; review of the skills and competence critical to delivering online learning; revisiting of the health and safety protocols; and recommendations for promotion at the end of the academic year.
The letter says that with focus on health and safety amid the pandemic, “the Ministry of Health and the Environment has accordingly agreed to deploy teams to all schools to facilitate the vaccination of teachers during the professional development period.”
“All teachers are encouraged to vaccinate in an effort to mitigate against the pandemic.
The Ministry of Education will be guided by the Ministry of Health and the adherence to the science of the management of COVID-19 on the reopening of Schools,” the letter states.
“The Ministry of Education will be guided by the Ministry of Health and the adherence to the science of the management of COVID-19 on the reopening of schools. Let us continue to work as one people to overcome and rise above the challenges of COVID-19,” the letter also states.