April 20th: Learning from Jesus
April 20, 2020
April 21st: We are Easter people!
April 20, 2020

School term reopens—With a difference

At a recent virtual media briefing Tuesday, April 14, Education Minister Anthony Garcia said the situation was “fluid” and it was not likely the term will reopen before September. Today, Monday, April 20, 2020 marked the official start of the second school term, online.

As he delivered Mass at Archbishop’s Chapel, Archbishop’s House on Monday, the Archbishop gave this message to teachers on their “first day of teaching”: “…And I just pray for you that you will have every grace you need today to really do what you do so well, informing our young children and our young people into the mind of Christ. God bless you.”

Archbishop Gordon and the Catholic Education Board of Management (CEBM) met online with the Education Minister and officials of the ministry on Tuesday on continued tuition for RC pupils during the COVID-19 lockdown. Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on March 13 asked for all learning institutions to be closed as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19.

At that meeting, the ministry accepted an offer from the CEBM to collaborate on the use of television programming, online materials to contribute to the Ministry’s Learning Management System (LMS) and teacher training. Chief Executive Officer CEBM Sharon Mangroo told Catholic News that students will now be taught using information technology; smartphones and WhatsApp messages between parents and teachers; television; and printed material. The CEBM has collected data from more than 50 schools as it plans for continued tuition at the 118 RC schools with some 1,800 teachers and 23,250 pupils. Less than 20 per cent of all primary school children (about 125,000 at 477 public primary schools) attend RC schools.

Before giving the final blessing during the Easter Monday Mass at Archbishop’s Chapel, Archbishop Gordon made a public appeal ‘Donate a device. Let’s make a difference’ for donations of unused working devices—smartphones, tablets and computers for distribution to teachers and students by emailing hope@catholictt.org.