Education officials have put forward a number of changes to be made in schools, ahead of the upcoming academic year.
Teachers will be expected to start the first school term on August 31, ahead of the official commencement on September 7.
Due to the need for social distancing, classes of 30 will be divided into two classes of 15, and classroom lectures, particularly at densely-populated schools, will be done both face-to-face and virtually. This is to avoid teachers having to teach twice as many hours daily.
With this change, one 15-student class, for example, will be taught face-to-face, while the other group will be taught virtually.
Additionally, several schools will also have tents erected on their green space, where classes can be held when the classrooms are all fully occupied.
To support the sustained virtual learning experience, new laptops will be purchased for secondary school students and their tablets will be passed on to primary students.
These laptops will be specifically designed to prevent cheating during CXC exams.
The cost of the laptops for all teachers, secondary students and extras (in the event of breakage or loss), is estimated at approximately $2 million dollars.