Brown Burke finds COVID indemnity waivers in schools shocking

Opposition Spokesperson on Education and Training Dr Angela Brown Burke has expressed surprise at a Sunday Gleaner report that some schools have been asking parents and guardians to sign COVID-19 indemnity waivers without the knowledge of the Ministry of Education.

“ ... It is even more shocking that we are talking about waivers regarding potential risk to the health of our children,” Brown Burke was quoted as saying in a release yesterday.

On the weekend, The Sunday Gleaner reported that with the limited return to face-to-face classes, some principals are quietly asking parents to sign a waiver indemnifying their institutions should students contract the deadly coronavirus.

Education Minister Fayval Williams said there was no such ministry policy.

Brown Burke called for greater consultation among officials from the ministries of Health and Education, school administrators and parents on issues surrounding the reopening of schools

“In resetting education 2021, Jamaica needs an effective partnership that respects the roles and importance of all involved ... . To do otherwise is to place the full burden of protecting our children at school on parents who are often the least informed and most vulnerable,” she said.