There will be no closure of the school system in Antigua and Barbud during the
upcoming Fourth Conference of Small Island Development States (SIDS4) at any
point during the May 27-30 event.
The clarification comes from the Director of Education, Clare Browne in response
to suggestions in some quarters that suggested that schools will be closed during
the 4-day event. Nothing is further than the truth where that is concerned,
according to Director Browne.
In a public statement, the director said the entire country will be impacted in some
way by the hosting of such a large event, and not to be ‘caught flatfooted’ the
ministry decided to take proactive action to ensure that the impact on the education
system will be minimal.
He said the first day of the conference, Monday May 27, the opening ceremony
starts at 9:00 am and school buses will be used to transport delegates to and from
the conference. With this in mind, the ministry has decided to return to remote
teaching – for that day only – but the education system will return to normal on
the other three days, May 28-30. The school buses, he emphasized, are not under
the direct control of the Ministry of Education. Rather, they fall under the aegis of
the Antigua and Barbuda Transport Board, a division of the Ministry of Works.
The Director of Education said the confusion over what will happen to the
education system during the SIDS4 conference seems to have had its genesis in a
mis-understanding of memo that he sent to principals of both public and private
schools.
The conference is taking place during the time of the year that students sit
Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) exams and even that will not be affected
by the hosting of the conference here in Antigua and Barbuda.
“I am told by the Examinations Office that there are three exams on the opening
day, May 27; Electronic Document Preparation Management (EDPM) in the
morning with a total of 36 students down to sit that exam. These are private
students so there is no need for students to be making their way into St. John’s to
write that exam on the morning of the May 27. In the afternoon (beginning at 1
o’clock) are Mechanical Engineering (65 students) across five schools, and Food
and Nutrition with 241 students from across all schools,” he revealed.
Unusually, the director noted, the school buses do not provide transportation for
students sitting afternoon exams as students would make their way to their
respective schools for that purpose.
“I am ‘a little’ taken aback and I am very confused why persons would be asking if
the school system would be closed for the duration of the conference. I am also
told that there are all kinds of things being stated I some online news portals
indicating otherwise so I needed to clarify this matter as my memo was addressed
to all principals. Everyone should be aware that there will be school during the
SIDS4 conference albeit that on Day 1, schools will be conducted online using the
various platforms,” he re-emphasised.
