Established October 1895 New elements to Ann Gill’s story Sunday May 2, 2021 $2 VAT Inclusive BACK TO SCHOOL Face-to-face classes to commence tomorrow for some students By Regina Selman Moore a.m. to 2 p.m. on a tour of select schools, to This announcement came assess their readiness for the PRIMARY school students from Acting Chief Education start of school on a face-to-face in Classes 3 and 4 and Fifth Officer Joy Adamson yester- basis. The final stop was made and Sixth form students in day, as she accompanied at St. George Primary School, secondary schools will be Minister of Education, where the media was Shaquon Cave’s required to report to the Technological and Vocational briefed. physical classroom on Training, Santia Bradshaw family wants Monday, May 3rd from 9 and other education officials START on Page 2 justice! Page 3 Landmark NTI-Coursera partnership launched Page 5 Desks being sanitised in preparation for the start of face-to-face classes on Monday. INSET: Acting Chief Education Officer, Joy Adamson. Buy local thrust vital, says BAS head WITH the local economy hard various shutdowns to help curb finding it hard to make ends ucts sold that will be a prob- hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, the spread of the coronavirus, meet. In that vein, Paul said lem. So we should be launch- it is being suggested that con- as well as the devastating im- that if steps being taken to at- ing commensurate with those certed efforts are needed to en- pact that the pandemic has had tract more tourists to the island efforts at this time, a buy local courage Barbadians at the indi- on international travel and by bear fruit, this should be of ben- programme where we insist vidual and corporate levels to extension the tourism industry, efit to the agricultural sector, that hoteliers shows a measure buy local, to help sustain agri- has put tremendous pressure and he believes that to ensure of support for the local farming cultural production and manu- on virtually every sector in this that happens, there must be a sector, especially at a time Kimberley Agard facturing in this country. country, including agriculture. policy in place that speaks to when they would have received The suggestion is coming As such, he noted that while greater engagement of local a lot of benefits and support announces from the Chief Executive farmers are still producing, farmers and producers. from government. So it is only NUPW presidential Officer of the Barbados they have had to reduce out- “If tourists are coming and natural that you would expect Agricultural Society (BAS), puts, as there are reduced av- there is no real policy which them to at least show some sup- candidacy James Paul. He pointed out in enues through which they can aims at ensuring that local pro- port for the local farms”. Page 6 an interview with The sell them. As a result, he ducers of commodities, have an Barbados Advocate that the lamented, many farmers are opportunity to get their prod- BUY on Page 5 2 • Sunday May 2, 2021 The Barbados Advocate Maintenance programme to come on-stream to keep schools free of ash By Regina Selman Moore layout and infrastructure having challenges within of most schools, which al- our own households, the THE Ministry of lows ash to enter the facil- schools are also having Education will be ities even after they have challenges trying to clean bringing on-stream a been cleaned. and then obviously there maintenance pro- Her comments came as is a gust of wind and we gramme to ensure she, along with Acting end up in the same situa- Maintenance works were still on going at the St. George Primary School, schools remain free of Chief Education Officer, tion where we have an- ahead of the start of classes on Monday. Workmen were seen working on the ash that still lingers Joy Adamson and other other set of cleaning that the roof. in our environment, fol- education officials toured has to be done,” Minister lowing the recent erup- select schools to assess Bradshaw commented. whereby in particular the noted that she wanted per- thing cleaned one time. tion of the La Soufrière their readiness for the “So I anticipate that over schools that are particu- sons to be aware that even But the commitment from volcano in St.Vincent start of school on a face-to- the course of the next cou- larly challenging, that as schools open, the clean the Ministry of Education and the Grenadines. face basis, from Monday ple weeks as we return to we're going to have the ad- up efforts will have to be is to continue to work with Minister of Education, May 3rd. The final stop school on Monday,that we ditional assistance from ongoing. the schools, to be able to Technological and was made at St. George will obviously have to con- the contractors, coming “We have some schools ensure that we can get the Vocational Training, Primary School, where the tinue cleaning a number back in to help support a that even as we reopen, we school plants as safe as Santia Bradshaw made media was briefed. of the schools on a regular number of the ancillary are going to have some possible for teachers and the announcement yester- “We’ve been cleaning up basis, in support of the an- staff at the various challenges with and I want students to be able to re- day, as she admitted that a lot of the ash at the var- cillary staff. So we've been schools,” the Education the public to be aware that turn to the school environ- the cleanup process to date ious institutions and I able to put in place a main- Minister added. all is not well in terms of us ment,” the Education has been tedious, given the think that just as we are tenance programme, Bradshaw meanwhile being able to have every- Minister maintained. Minister of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, Santia Bradshaw (centre) in talks with principal of St. George Primary School, Deborah Waithe-Jones (left) and teacher Marsha Burke, who also serves as A view of the St. George Primary School which was being cleaned and PRO of the Barbados Union of Teachers, on location at the school. prepped for the return of students. Announcement soon about remaining students START from Page 1 the principals have been be at school. We have hours. schools and for the nurs- so they are familiar with Adamson noted that an meeting with the parents, school monitors at all of Adamson noted that a eries, their arrangement, that and some of the nurs- announcement will come they have been meeting our primary, nursery and few minor disruptions can we wouldn't expect all of ery schools have off-site lo- at a later date as to when with the teachers. I know special schools and these be expected as students them to arrive at the cations as well. Some of other students will be al- that there are several monitors will help with return and attempt to set- school plant at one time, the special schools also lowed in the classroom, schools that have sched- sanitisation as the chil- tle into the school environ- so the principles would have off site (sessions). In but in the interim, online uled PTA meetings this dren actually come into ment once again, so per- have been in contact with the Ministry, we have classes will continue for evening and tomorrow school and we would want sons should work with the them. They will arrange arranged for those sites to the rest of the students, and I wanted it stressed, it the students to be there schools to allow for a and they will be able to be cleaned and to be who will overall be taught is the Class 3s and the on time, so that classes smooth flow, even in terms tell you when your group arranged, so for the nurs- via a blended approach, Class 4s at primary can start (on time)” she of the pickup of students. is to report to the site. ery and special schools, consisting of a combina- schools,” Adamson re- added, indicating that for The Acting Chief There are some schools listen out to your teachers tion of online and in-per- marked. those with an earlier start Education Officer also that also have off-site loca- and to your principals as son classes. “Different schools have time, parents should pay spoke of the arrange- tions like here at St. to the groups to come in “I want it to be clear,not different start dates. The attention to the arrange- ments in place for special George, the Class 4s are face-to-face and then fur- every student is to turn up teaching time starts at 9 ments for those schools, needs schools and for going over to the church ther instruction will be to school and I think that a.m., so that means that but in general, school will nurseries. hall and they would have given,” Adamson noted. we need to stress that. So 8:30 a.m. or so you should be in session for five “Now for the special done that in the first term, (RSM) The Barbados Advocate Sunday May 2, 2021 • 3 Shaquon Cave’s family wants justice! APRIL 10th marked Calls on PM and AG for help know that last week they the one-year anniver- went into the neighbour- sary of Shaquon John was right there on the Shaquon as the most lov- hood to get fresh state- Jose Cave’s death, and ground lying dead – who ing of her two boys, but ments? Come on, what the family of this would have expected such also admitted that he are you all doing… I can- young man who died a thing?” wasn’t perfect.