Come this Monday, November 1, a majority of schools in St Vincent and the Grenadines will once again welcome students back to the physical classroom for the first time this year.

The Ministry of Education announced yesterday, October 29 that schools will reopen on Monday in full for face to face classes or with a blended format.

“The recommended format for the operation of schools across St Vincent and Grenadines is based on the percentage of staff vaccinated and the adherence to the health protocols. Now, we have prepared a list of schools that are recommended to operate fully face to face and those that will adopt a blended learning format,” Curtis King, the minister of education said today during a press briefing.

King also noted that the education ministry was acting on the “expert advice of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment relative to the established protocols for the safe reopening of schools”.

A circular was also issued, indicating the schools that will engage in full face to face learning and the ones which will engage using a blended/hybrid approach.

Principals and headteachers should have, by this point, indicated to parents the individualised plan for respective schools as it relates to the days and times particular grades or forms are required to report to school.

All students attending classes are also required to be in full uniform.

The education minister also noted that the recommended format for the operation of schools across the country is based on the percentage of staff vaccinated and the adherence to the health protocols in place.

“…All staff members entering the school compound are required to demonstrate proof of vaccination or produce a negative COVID-19 test result,” he said in his statement. “Staff members are also reminded that effective November 19, 2021, that proof of vaccination is a requirement to enter the school premises, save and except those persons who are exempted from vaccination in accordance with the Statutory Rules and Orders number 28 of 2021.”

While most schools will begin face to face or hybrid learning on Monday, King said there are some schools that will officially begin on Wednesday, November 3.

These schools are: Sandy Bay Secondary; the Girls High School; the Bequia Community High School; Owia Government School; Biabou Methodist Primary School and the Kingstown Government School.

“You will recall that these three secondary schools are being temporarily located away from their regular location: the Sandy Bay Secondary School in the Mt Young area, Girls High School at Arnos Vale tarmac of the decommissioned ET Joshua (Airport) and Bequia Community High just outside of the Bequia Anglican Primary School,” King said.

King added that “with regards to the primary schools, which will be commencing on the 3rd of November…in the case of the Owia Government; that is in the red zone and there were some challenges in terms of getting that school completely ready…

“In the case of the Biabou Methodist and the Kingstown Government; they had shelterees. Persons were based there, up until quite recently and as such, those schools also required some improvement before we could move into their format of their proposed opening.”

Some private schools have already been engaging their students in face to face and blended approach classes since the start of this academic year.The Windsor Primary School and Sugar Mill Academy are included in this set of schools and they boast a 100 per cent vaccination rate among staff members including teachers.