Education Minister Priya Manickchand
Hutson emphasised that if children are unable to attend schools because of financial difficulties- whether transportation, food, clothing or otherwise- a decision has been taken to support those children.
“… whatever help that could be given to them financially to alleviate the problems they are experiencing would be given to them,” he stressed.
At this year’s sitting of the NGSA, children were given the option to abstain from the assessment. If they did so, they would be placed in a secondary school closest to where they live.
With the children who the ministry has been able to locate, Hutson said that they will be placed in a secondary school accordingly.
“They will never be left hanging,” he pointed out.
The issue of children dropping out of school has been a concern over the past few months.
Minister Manickchand stated previously that much emphasis has been placed on reopening schools because online learning, despite the many interventions from the ministry, has not allowed all children, everywhere to be equally engaged.
With the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines, it is expected that children would be able to return to schools.
From January, it is expected that all secondary school students, except those in Form One (Grade Seven), will return to face-to-face classes.
