Education ministry to offer psychosocial support to students
Published:Friday | August 28, 2020 | 12:10 AMJudana Murphy/Gleaner Writer
The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information will be offering psychosocial sessions for students during the month of September.
Owing to the spike in COVID-19 cases, the phased reopening of schools has been delayed until October 5.
Schools were closed in mid-March and face-to-face classes were expected to resume on September 7.
Acting Chief Education Officer Dr Kasan Troupe said the sessions will mainly be held virtually.
“In extreme cases, based on what you’re feeling, our social workers, our guidance counsellors and our health and family life educators will make themselves available, observing, of course, the physical distancing [protocol]. If they have to see you based on what is happening, we will make ourselves available,” Troupe explained during a virtual back-to-school students’ sensitisation session on Wednesday.
For schools that do not have assigned guidance counsellors, external support will be provided by the ministry.
Troupe also added that orientation sessions will be held virtually in September.
As administrators prepare to welcome students in the coming months, the National Secondary Students’ Council has expressed concern about some of the protocols to be observed.
A recent RJRGLEANER-commissioned Don Anderson poll showed that 77.8 per cent of parents are concerned about sending their children out to school in September.
The majority of respondents, more than 70 per cent in both instances, were also in favour of schools adopting a shift system to ensure social distancing and for the continuation of online teaching in the post-COVID-19 era.
NSSC public relations officer Ree-Anna Robinson said peers have relayed concerns about the digital divide.
“Students have recommended that in addition to the guidelines set in the education and emergencies guide, lunch lists be utilised to alleviate long lines as well as the use of student cards at point-of-sale machines instead of cash, as cards can be easily sanitised,”Robinson explained.
In an effort to address the lack of access to devices among students, the student group has launched a laptop and tablet drive.
In his greetings, President of the Jamaica Union of Tertiary Students, Everton Rattray, commended the ministry for hosting the sensitisation session.
The union represents more than 30 institutions across Jamaica and since the pandemic, they have been met more frequently. It has made accessible to tertiary institutions, a premium Zoom account to facilitate remote meetings, webinars and other activities.
“We can get through it, and we will get through it. The theme that we are going with is ‘Be a good soldier, mirror the responsibility’,” he said.