There is a report in today’s paper on a “soft opening” of local schools this Thursday. The news will no doubt be welcomed by persons forced to look after the children also during morning hours on weekdays while already having to deal with the severe impact of Hurricane Irma and the subsequent threats by José and Maria.
The actual reopening is still set for October 2, but at least pupils, parents, teachers and school administrators will have a better idea of what lies ahead. This should allow them all to prepare for making up the backlog as best possible.
That a number of especially secondary education exam students left the island is understandable. This is such a crucial academic year for them that missing three weeks of classes could have seriously jeopardised their graduation and continued studies, despite the best intentions of all involved.
There are still plenty of challenges locally, mind you. For one thing, just 18 of the 27 schools had electricity and only 12 water up to Tuesday. However, GEBE is working hard to supply the others, as are the two major telecommunications companies on restoring connectivity.
Of course, learning is not only done in the classroom. Youngsters have no doubt gone through a lot since September 6 and can perhaps benefit from their experiences, as painful as these might be.
Such lessons would include never taking basic necessities like clean water and food for granted, or, for that matter, the public safety and security provided by law enforcement authorities under normal circumstances.
Life during the coming period won’t be easy for most, but struggle builds character.
