The new school term begins today and sees thousands of students returning to the physical classroom, many of them for the first time since March 2020, when the pandemic began.

Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley welcomed the long awaited move on Tuesday morning.

“After almost two years of experiencing the worst trauma, stress and overall deprivation in their development, our children are cautiously stepping back out into school as we knew it. I am so happy,” the PM said in a statement.

“The pandemic has made demands on our young ones that none of the rest of us have ever been called upon to deal with. We wish them all God’s blessings and guidance as they retrieve their development pathways. Our country’s future depends on their protection and their success,” Dr. Rowley added.

Moreover, he appealed to all citizens to continue taking precautions to limit the spread of the virus.

“As the schools open, I implore all citizens to remember that we are still not out of the woods yet. The pandemic is still a very real threat and our individual cooperation is required to ameliorate its effects,” he pleaded.