By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

EDUCATION Minister Jeff Lloyd hit out yesterday at the “so-called educational establishments” that are operating without the legal authority to do so, revealing that his ministry has had to shut down several institutions.

He said the existence of the schools “puts potentially the clients they serve—most often very young children — at risk for serious, if not permanent injury”.

Speaking during his budget contribution in the House of Assembly, he said operators of educational services must register with the National Accreditation and Equivalency Council of The Bahamas as he called on parents to be careful about who they let teach and handle their children.

“Otherwise,” he said, “you are operating outside the law, and render yourselves liable to serious penalties if found. Sadly, the Ministry of Education has had to shut down several institutions, especially those catering to young children that were a serious hazard to the children’s well-being. I, as minister, advise parents to first check with NAECOB, investigate, carefully evaluate, and where possible, secure credible references before placing your vulnerable baby in the care of unqualified, money-seeking operators. It is not enough that someone likes children. It takes much more than that. Young impressionable minds, and developing brains that are still in the crucial formative stages can easily be wrecked by someone who does not know, though well-intentioned, what they are doing. The impartation of information, and the invitation to awaken and refine a student’s innate potential, is a skill, grounded in science, and honed under the expert supervision of mentors.”

In view of Hurricane Dorian and COVID-19, Mr Lloyd also said the National School Lunch Programme will review the initiative and the number of people who receive assistance through it. He said there are 2,551 students on the Family Islands and 2,800 students in New Providence currently enrolled in the programme.

To bring relief to participants during COVID-19, meal and food store vouchers were distributed in three phases, he said. In the first phase, $233,955 was distributed to those in need; $317,550 and $332,000 were distributed in the second and third phases respectively, he said.

There was a negative reaction when Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis revealed recently that national examinations for high school students will continue this year despite the disruption COVID-19 has brought to students’ school year.

Mr Lloyd, however, said GLAT examinations, which are administered to third and sixth grade students in elementary schools around the country, have been cancelled for 2020 even though the BJC and BGCSE exams will begin on July 13.

He said 10,659 people have registered to write the BJC exams while 5,996 are registered to write the BGCSE exams.