(Antigua Newsroom) -The annual evaluation of Grade Six students, along with the Grades Two and Four Assessments, has been cancelled.
Ministry of Education officials are now examining ways in which to proceed during the new school year, and at the same time addressing promotions and the National Grade Six Assessment.
Instead the Grade Six Profile Sheets will be tweaked and completed electronically, and a spreadsheet will be provided for the placement of students to the Antigua Grammar School and the Antigua Girls High School.
However, recommendations for improvement are still being discussed, and they highlight that the placement of students is still just a proposal.
In the final analysis, however, placement based on the health and safety of students is at the discretion of the Director of Education.
In the meantime, Education officials have concluded that after the coronavirus pandemic has passed, there will be a “new normal,” in which blended learning will be utilized in the classroom.
“COVID-19 taught us that teachers need to be able to deal with remote instruction… . We do not know what’s coming next,” Browne is reported to have said.
Finally, officials are also hinting that students may be required to wear masks upon their return to school – now scheduled for mid August.
However, the Education Director says he will not support any call for the re-opening of schools until the medical experts say it is okay to do so “and until we have worked out social-distancing protocols for schools.”
