25 percent of public school students in danger of repeating

Twenty-five percent of public school students in New Providence and Abaco have not logged on for virtual school and if they do not meet certain requirements by the end of the school year, they could face repeating the grade level, according to Minister of Education Jeffrey Lloyd.

Lloyd told The Nassau Guardian yesterday that 75 percent of the approximately 30,000 students expected to participate in virtual learning have been logging on and are active on the Ministry of Education’s platform.

He said it’s a good sign that the majority of students appear interested in their education despite the unfortunate circumstance brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re talking about New Providence and Abaco,” Lloyd said. “So, if 30,000 or thereabout is in New Providence and Abaco at 75 percent, then we’re looking at 24,000 who are logging on. So, there are 6,000 students who are wandering the streets or otherwise not dutifully engaged in their educational pursuit.”

Lloyd was asked whether there would be consequences for those students who do not log in and subsequently fail to meet the standard to move on to the next grade level at the end of the school year.

“Absolutely there is going to be some implication or some 

consequence for those students Jeffrey Lloyd who do not meet the standard of their particular grade,” he said.

“That means some sessions during the summer or, yes, in some cases that may mean to have to repeat.”

The ministry has partnered with several companies in an effort to get tablets and laptops to students in New Providence and Abaco for them to continue their education online.

However, Lloyd said despite his ministry’s efforts, the number of students still not logging on is too high, whether it be lack of resources or lack of interest.

“Of course, in spite of whatever we do in the Ministry of Education, it still falls on the student and the parents because they have to see education as important,” Lloyd said.

“They have to see it as valuable and necessary and have to make a commitment to see that the child does find his or her way into some kind of academic proficiency.

“Now, whether you have a device or not, all schools have what we call resource packets; meaning lessons that they can go to the schools, collect, do the work and return it to the school.

“The teacher will mark it and then they will get another packet at the end of the week.

“So, there is really no excuse for any child not to be suitably engaged in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Yes, we would certainly like for them to be online. Yes, we would certainly like for every child to have a tablet and that’s what we’re working towards.

“We want certainly to have internet capability, copiously, freely, and easily accessible.

“But at the same time, if none of those are available, the school has resource packets that are available that the child can use for the benefit of education.”

Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) President Belinda Wilson has constantly hit out at the lack of resources available to teachers and many students to move forward.

But while she said her concerns have fallen on deaf ears, Lloyd said the concern of the ministry right now is to get the thousands of children not logging on for school, engaged.

“Our challenge is right now is we are grateful for the 75 percent of students who log in on a consistent basis,” he said.

“The concern is those 20 percent who are not.

“Of course, our belief is that is a result of no tablets or no internet capability or both.

“Of course, we are working very hard with corporate Bahamas as well as other non-governmental organizations who have offered by way of donations, tablets.

“So, we are getting them out to our various schools and we are working with Aliv and BTC to provide internet capability in at least 12 neighborhoods here in New Providence, 12 in Grand Bahama, and to offer very, very generous rates for internet capability for our children.”

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