All public schools, with the exception of Nu’uuli Vo Tech, return to full schedule as of today.
Since the new school year started August 31, all public schools with enrollment of 500 and above have followed a combination of in person and online classes, while those with lesser enrollments have operated on normal schedule.
As of now the Department of Education has yet to receive Ipads, Chromebooks, laptops and other devices which students are to use in virtual classes. Director of Education Dr Ruth Matagi Tofiga said the bid has been awarded and DOE is now waiting on the vendor to deliver.
Meanwhile the 100 teacher aides and facility sanitizers hired with COVID-19 funding have been cleared by the ASG Department of Human Resources, and are now at the schools.
At meetings of Parent Teacher Associations since the start of school, parents have expressed concern with DOE’s hybrid classes in that many children did not have the devices needed for online learning. And some schools also did not have all of the hardware needed for teachers to deliver the virtual classes.
Parents who are at work during the day left their children unsupervised at home on the day of virtual classes.
A common sight was elementary and high school students on the road without adult supervision, on the days they weren’t at school.
Nu’uuli Vocational Technical High School will continue with a combination of in person and virtual classes due to limited school facilities as the school is undergoing major construction and renovations.
