Parents are being  advised to keep the channels of communication open with school administrators, to ensure their children’s educational needs are met as best as possible.

This comes from Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Grace McLean, who stressed the importance of parents answering telephone calls and responding to messages from school administrators.

“If you are not able to do so (respond) at the time when the [calls and] messages come in, in the evening when you’re home from work and so on, please respond because on many occasions your principals and teachers are trying to get in touch with you as parents and they are unable to,” she said.

Dr. McLean, who was addressing a recent virtual Parents’ Town Hall Meeting, noted that there have been several instances where school administrators have been unable to locate some students and, therefore, implored parents to assist in this process “to ensure that there is a customised plan for the education of your child”.

“Parents, another five, 15, 20 years from now, we don’t want to be looking back at those children who would’ve been severely affected by this pandemic that we didn’t cause on ourselves and say that this is a lost generation,” she said.

Dr. McLean assured that the Education Ministry is prepared “to do everything that we possibly can to assist in ensuring that your children access the type of education that will make them into the kind of citizens who are socially acclimatised to a civilised society”.

“Parents, we are beseeching [you]; we need your help to help your children to become educated,” she added.

In the meantime, Dr. McLean informed that the Ministry has begun to communicate directly with parents via email, to provide pertinent information regarding the education of their children, noting that, where appropriate, information is also sent to students.

“I encourage you (parents) to make sure that if you want us to communicate with you directly, you can make your information available through our regional offices and there will be a call that we will be sending out by way of our website, so that we can have you all as a part of our data so that we can communicate with you directly,” she said.