Editorial

On Monday all government schools will be back in operation – quite an achievement in the two months since Hurricane Ivan swept through the Islands.

Considering that many of us are still struggling with our personal recovery from Ivan, we salute education officials for working so diligently to arrange the best educational experience for our children. And they have excelled under what are and continue to be very difficult circumstances for all of us.

It is reassuring to also know that top priority was placed on ensuring a safe environment for all our children. CaymanSpirit recently learned of evacuation of residents in parts of Florida because of mould-related illnesses. The Ministry of Education has ensured that all local schools have been certified by professional environmental hygienists as free of moulds and other environmental hazards that may occur under disaster conditions.

Beyond that, the education sector has had to overcome the same hurdles that we all do in cleaning up and repairing buildings. CaymanSpirit wishes them well on the major rebuilding programme that lies ahead.

That will undoubtedly bring its challenges, but in all of the issues that they have had to resolve, they have been able to assure us that children in all schools save one will have completed at the end of the academic year 186 of the normal 190 teaching days! And for the school that has had the most difficulty in getting back to normalcy, special provision will be made to make up lost time.

The bottom line is that every effort is being made to ensure that our children do not lose ground.

This week’s CaymanSpirit outlines how the Government’s educational system has worked over the hurdles. We believe that this is important, as sometimes it is easy to forget that we are all going through this together. And it is equally important for parents to support school efforts to make up missed time; try to provide a quiet corner for your child, turn the TV off, listen and help as he or she adjusts to school again. Don’t leave it all up to the schools.

And remember that Cayman Spirit – it took us to where we are, and we can do it again! It just takes faith and effort! Just do it!