By Sue-Ann Wayow
ONLY fully vaccinated school children will be allowed to have in-person classes from October 1.
This was announced by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on Saturday during a press conference.
But he said this was only for students in forms four to six.
Dr Rowley said fully vaccinated meant that the children should have their second dose of the Covid-19 Pfizer vaccine with a two week grace period.
This means that by September 14, those within the 12 to 18 age bracket and attending Form Four, Five and Six should be vaccinated with the second dose if they want to attend physical classes.
Dr Rowley said he was highly disappointed that only 25% of that group was vaccinated given the massive educational vaccination drive which meant that 75% of the 12 to 18 group was not vaccinated.
He was also disappointed that the conversation surrounding vaccination focused more on personal rights than on actual vaccination for protection against the virus and now that there were several vaccines available, the population seemed less interested in obtaining one.
He said he was hoping that by August, parents and guardians would have wanted their children to be vaccinated in order to encourage the re-opening of physical classes.
Dr Rowley said, “School starts on the 6th of September for all students. If we do not open up face to face, all students will have their school away from the schoolhouse. We are saying that in order for us to have face to face teaching and for the older students, those students will have to be vaccinated so that they can come to the schoolhouse for face to face teaching. They cannot be in two places at once.”
He said, “Those children who are not vaccinated will have their option to have their education through the virtual system which is what they will be using on September 6. But on the first of October, face to face learning will be available, face to face contact will be available but to access that, it has to be for vaccinated students.”
Students can also continue classes fully virtually, Dr Rowley said.
“The population gathering at the schoolhouse for health and safety purposes, they have to be vaccinated,” he added.
The Ministry of Education will be working out if there will be separate teachers for virtual sessions he said.
When asked by the media if vaccination will be mandatory for essential workers, Dr Rowley responded, “We are not doing anything we have said we would not do.”
Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said in order to improve the vaccination statistics for 12 to 18 age bracket, the Ministry of Health will be planning to have vaccination sites at specific schools in the various educational districts that will have a day allotted to vaccinate pupils of that school population.
And Dr Rowley also said if the Covid trend continued in a slow but positive direction, by next week, religious services may once again be allowed. He encouraged all religious leaders to urge their members to take the vaccine that has been scientifically proven to fight against the virus.
Schools in T&T were closed in March last year after the first Covid-19 case was recorded in the country.
