The second term of academic year 2020-2021 will begin on January 4th, 2021. 

This was announced by Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley on Saturday afternoon, as he hosted a press briefing to provide an update on Covid-19 measures. 

The classes will resume via virtual classes, however Dr. Rowley says it is hoped students sitting the CXC January exams may permitted to do so in-person. 

This, he says, depends heavily on how the virus spreads during the Christmas season, which is dependent on “good behavior” by the population. 

Looking further ahead, the PM says February 8th, 2021 is the tentative date for physical classes to resume, with students in Standard 5 and Forms 4-6 being allowed to come out for face to face learning “in a testing of the waters”.  

This again depends on the trajectory of the virus at that period. 

The Prime Minister warned that existing Covid-19 precautions will apply if this plan is to come to pass.

“Of course, they will be masked. It would still be required that they be masked and very intense sanitation activities around their spaces,” he said.

The PM added that each Education district will be assigned a health safety team led by a doctor and a batch of nurses to ensure the maximum response is being maintained.