Thousands of  primary school children return to face-to-face classes as of Monday, after months of online learning or limited to no interaction with their teachers.

367 small primary schools reopen,  accommodating some 45 thousand 390 students and 2 thousand 520  teachers.   Infant schools and some high school students are also allowed to return to face-to-face classes.

The schools were selected following an in-depth risk assessment of the 759 primary schools across the island. The assessment looked at enrolment,  the number of students enrolled versus the number of spaces and the number of COVID-19 cases in the communities where they are located.

Other issues examined included access to water for drinking and sanitation, internet connectivity, and the average distance travelled by students in commuting to and from school.

Of the 376 schools selected for reopening 191,  are small primary schools with fewer than 100 students enrolled.  For the medium-sized primary schools selected 185  have an enrolment of 630 students or fewer.

The schools will operate daily or on rotation, but in all cases, all students must have some face-to-face learning every week.

The principal of Falmouth All Age in Trelawny Kirk Spencer says it has been challenging and everyone is ready to return to the physical classroom.  The school has 350 students on roll. He explains that each child will have at least two days of face to face classes.

Meantime, JTA president Winston Smith says teachers and students are eager to return to the physical classroom and seek to close the learning gap among students caused by the pandemic.