Eastern Caribbean rolls out online education as COVID-19 closes schools

BARBADOS – 23 April 2020 - Naraia Mc Clean submits her assignment and waits for her teacher to grade it. Like many other 11-year-olds across the Eastern Caribbean, this is crunch time as she prepares for the much-anticipated secondary school entrance examination.

Only this time, it’s different for Naraia and her classmates. Missing are the familiar classrooms, the ring of the school bell, the laughter of friends and the other scenes which enrich her school life. School for the Head Girl at the Blackman and Gollop Primary School student in Barbados is her living room and her writing pads have been replaced by a tablet.

This situation is faced by almost half a million nursery, primary and secondary school students across the Eastern Caribbean whose education had been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic which has touched every country in the subregion. Since the first confirmed cases of the virus in the region in early March, governments have progressively shut down their education sectors as physical distancing has become the new reality.

In order to ensure that education is not placed on hold during these uncertain times, the subregion’s Ministries of Education are rolling out online education platforms and tooling students and teachers to enable virtual education.

It’s only a couple weeks into the final term in the school year, and Naraia is enjoying the experience of learning from home, but there are aspects she misses.

“There are some things I prefer to do at school. For example, if you see something wrong on a worksheet you can let your teacher know, but if something is wrong with an online assignment you can’t talk to your teacher immediately.

“Also, it is harder to communicate through the tablet or laptop. For example, when we are at school and the teacher wants to say something to us, she can talk normally but now this is disturbed because some children do not understand yet how to work the online classes,” the student says, adding “I understand this is what we need to do currently to still get our education.”

UNICEF is supporting governments across the subregion to ensure that children have continued access to education. This includes support for the delivery of education through online platforms and support with community level connectivity for under privileged children, including connectivity and provision of tablets to underprivileged children.

Additionally UNICEF is working with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to rollout a project aimed at providing every child and young person in OECS Members States with improved access to broadband connectivity, digital tools and services, and a learning environment in their schools that provides them with the 21st Century skills needed to thrive in a digital and connected world.

The UN children’s agency is also providing guidance to Ministries of Education for the safe reopening of schools and distribution of critical hygiene and prevention items for use in schools, such as school level hygiene kits and the training of school principals and teachers on use of the kits and preventive practices.

Support is also being provided to Ministries of Education and Health to provide support/referrals for psychosocial support to children, parents and the education workforce and to update or develop education in emergency or contingency plans at education sector and school level.

UNICEF Representative to the Eastern Caribbean Dr Aloys Kamuragiye said the support to the education sector is premised on the determination that school closures do not negate a child’s right to education.

“UNICEF recommends a number of measures be put in place to ensure the continuity of learning, including remote learning options.  Regardless of level and duration of closures, schools must ensure uninterrupted access to essential services for all children and aspire to reach all children with the appropriate platform, with due consideration for vulnerable groups and children with disabilities,” the UNICEF head added.

For now, Naraia and thousands of other Eastern Caribbean students are safely studying from their home, while patiently awaiting the opportunity to don their uniforms and safely return to the classroom.