Acting Education Minister Lisa Morris-Julian yesterday expressed concern about the 2,814 primary and secondary students who dropped out of school during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She made the comment in response to a Sunday Guardian article headlined “2,800 children drop out from primary, secondary schools from 2020 to 2022.”
The article stated that at least 151 primary school pupils dropped out of government schools in Trinidad between the beginning of 2020 and the end of 2022, while another 2,663 students dropped out of government secondary schools during the same period–a figure of 2,814.
The Sunday Guardian obtained the information from the Ministry of Education, after submitting a Freedom of Information request earlier this year.
Speaking at the Arima New Government Primary School yesterday, where she hosted an Easter celebration for children in her D’Abadie/O’Meara constituency, themed Easter in the East, Morris-Julian said, “The fact is, the ministry is always deeply concerned even if it’s one child. This is not new to us. This is something that we constantly have to work on. Of course, it is something we have to work on with the parents.”
There are approximately 230,000 children in both primary and secondary schools in T&T.
Morris-Julian said she is aware that concerns have been raised by the National Parents Teachers’ Association and the T&T Unified Teachers’ Association regarding the number of dropouts.
“But we have systems in place…like the Student Support System, which is very robust. We will reach out and that is what we are here for. We will reach out and try to get these children back into school.”
According to several school dropouts and teachers, as well as education stakeholders, the pandemic significantly increased the number of children who left school, the article pointed out.
It also stated that many of the children felt as though they had no choice but to drop out of school.
Those who have fallen through the cracks mentioned feeling immense pressure to assist their families to make ends meet at home, as the pandemic worsened things for them.
Many of them said they worked odd jobs like construction or selling small items. Others, meanwhile, said they spent a lot of their time helping at home with their siblings.
It was uncertain what many others have been doing, but some children who drop out of school have found themselves on the wrong side of the law, dabbling in guns and drugs and getting drafted into gangs.
Pressed as to what may have led the students to leave the school system over the three-year period, Morris Julian admitted that COVID-19 was certainly a major factor.
“Children drop out of schools…it is our duty as parents and guardians of society to try and gather all our children back in.”
She said the ministry has been looking at the numbers.
“The Ministry is looking at the various aspects of the pandemic. But basically, we are just trying to get back on track.”
She said the community police have been assisting and reaching out, while the ministry’s Student Support Services (SSS) is currently undergoing some changes.
“We have some new heads,” she said.
The SSS offers help and looks for solutions.
“If there are parents of students who need assistance, they can reach out to their guidance officer or the social services worker. We work in tandem with the Social Development Ministry, we don’t work in a silo.”
Parents, she said, can also reach out to the school principals.
Asked if the parents of students have been coming to the ministry for help, Morris-Julian said, “I can tell you that the article is the first I saw today. So, I can’t answer on that as yet. I will say though, that parents continuously will come for help. Even for the parents who do not ask we reach out to them and there are systems in place.”
She said the ministry was boosting 26 schools whose test scores were lower than average.
Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly is currently in Jamaica for the Inter-Secondary School Association Grace Kennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Track and Field Championships.