The Ministry of Education has begun the roll out of a two-year recovery programme to help students “catch-up” with learning lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the volcanic eruptions. Having pinpointed some areas in which students need support, the ministry is partnering with a number of agencies to put suitable measures in place, a release from the Agency for Public Information states.

One such strategy is the ROLES initiative, funded by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

“ROLES” is an acronym for Recovery of Learning and Emotional and psychosocial Support. As the name suggests, the initiative is not only designed to help with the knowledge and skills that students have missed, but it also takes into consideration the social, emotional and mental well-being of the students. Educators, families and school communities are also recognised as critical players on the road to education recovery.

The ROLES programme began in earnest Monday August 23 with a three-week vacation session, particularly for students in need of remedial work and those entering the exit levels in the new school year. The students will be engaged daily Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. They are expected to benefit from a range of academic and non-academic activities, as well as traditional and modern learning strategies.

The programme, which is projected to extend into the academic year, is focusing on:

• Building core skills through Literacy and Numeracy
• Enhancing science, psychosocial and life skills
• Understanding Special Education and Disabilities
• Improving self-awareness and personal development through Music Education

The Ministry of Education’s recovery efforts will be officially launched on Tuesday August 31 with a live broadcast on Facebook and channel 114 on cable TV.