Bavita Gopaulchan
With over 100 students and close to 40 teachers in quarantine, the Presbyterian Primary School Board has asked the Ministry of Health to prioritise testing for schools.
According to the chairman of the board Vickram Ramlal, the number of cases across 72 of its schools has been increasing since last Thursday among students and staff.
“At present, we have 35 students who have tested positive. We have approximately 103 students who are in quarantine either as primary contacts or awaiting test results. We also have four principals who are in quarantine and are positive and two others who are primary contacts. Sixteen teachers tested positive and we have a further 24 teachers who are in quarantine either waiting results or are primary contacts. We have a number of ancillary staff or cleaners, about five are in quarantine and tested positive,” Ramlal told Guardian media during an interview yesterday.
He admitted that the rising cases have been posing a challenge.
“One of our concerns as a board is that our students who are testing positive and are in need of medical attention, that the Ministry of Health make some provision so that students (whether a primary or secondary) who test positive and need of medical attention be given some priority at various health institutions,” he stated.
“Our 72 primary schools cover many rural areas where our parents need assistance in various forms, and accessing medical care for their children will be one of the ways they will need assistance. We also propose that the Ministry of Health, where we have children and teachers and principal tested, priority be given to having those results done,” he further suggested.
He said the board has also been seeking help from the Ministry of Education to fill the gaps that are arising to ensure that learning continues.
“We have sought some teachers from the Ministry of Education substitute teacher program, we did get a couple. And, we are also using some teacher-aides and OJT programmes, under the guidance of principals and senior teachers to help us in the classes. But as the situation continues to escalate, it is going to create greater challenges for us,” Ramlal noted.