7 News Belize

Primary school starts in ten days - but, of course, it won't be anything like regular school, since there will be no in person instruction. That means parents will have to become co-teachers for these young students. It's a sharp change in roles, telling of the trying times were living in under COVID. And today on Ask The Experts, the Chief Education Officer outlined the changing role for parents - who first have to find a place at home for their students to set up:

Carol Babb - Chief Education Officer

"We would want parents to designate an area, a learning space and we want them to prepare it, have a desk, any place that the child can work in quite with very little distraction. So, for example, you may have a schedule where you allow your child to wake up at 8 AM, they get up they shower, they have breakfast and then maybe classed begin at 9 AM. So, at the primary level, at the preschool level, school will not be the usual classroom, so parents your role is very important, you will be co teachers to your child's teacher. So, you need to ensure that you have your teacher's contact information, the principal's contact information, so that you can be in touch with them to share with you, how you can support your children. We are aware that our students have been out of school for 5 months and that is a long time and we know that our students have lost quite a lot and that is why Mrs. Smith and I are here today, to appeal to parents, to co teach with us, to partner with us, to ensure that your child, your children are meaningfully engaged during these - we don't even know when school will reopen, so we need to ensure that children get every opportunity to develop both academically, physically, mentally and socially."

Cecilia Smith - Deputy Chief Education Officer

"We are not able to rely solely on the school anymore. The partnership really has to come into full force. Parents can't just say it's up to the school to do it because the students are not in school, that's the reality right now. They are not in school, they are at home, so the parents need to do their role."