As Trinidad and Tobago continues to maneuver through the unprecedented experience that has been presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Education has been coordinating efforts with many of its key stakeholders to continue to provide access to a quality education to all students. With the announcement of the closure of all schools as of March 16 th 2020, many teachers and principals facilitated teaching and learning for their students and the Ministry extends sincerest thanks to all educators who stepped up during these difficult times to ensure that the nation’s youth were not left behind. 

Understanding that not all teachers have been able to effectively facilitate teaching and learning, the office of the Chief Education Officer of the Ministry has engaged in a Data Collection Exercise that will allow for the collation of information that can be subsequently shared with all principals and teachers. The objective of this exercise is to enhance the services that are currently available. The Ministry of Education has established the School Learning Management System (SLMS) which can be accessed at www.learn.moe.gov.tt and gives a wide range of resources for students from ECCE to CAPE and it is hoped that the data collected can also aid in the further development of this resource. The Ministry of Education has noted the combative position taken by the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) and encourages the Union to partner with the Ministry at this time as both parties’ interests are aligned with the delivery of a quality education to students while supporting all teachers. 

During this time where the world is adapting daily to the dynamic COVID-19 situation, Minister of Education the Honourable Anthony Garcia urges stakeholders in education to be solution oriented as we all navigate this situation. The Minister said “Now is not the time for any of us to be combative. Our country, like many others has been thrust into a state of uncertainty and as we figure out how best we can preserve the access to education for all students, we will need the support of our teachers, principals, parents and all stakeholders in education to achieve this goal. I have continued to be impressed by the commitment of the teachers of Trinidad and Tobago to our students and at this time, the Ministry’s goal is to empower teachers and students with resources that will keep education flowing as we do not know when this situation will be resolved. As educators we all know that this situation is not a vacation but a time for us to be creative and innovative in order to reach our students and ensure that our country’s future is preserved.”