GOVERNMENT will this week ramp up monitoring of teacher attendance in schools to assess staffing gaps and determine areas that need additional educators to cover for those not reporting for duty.

Next year’s examination classes — Grade 6, Form 3 and Lower Sixth — will commence school tomorrow under the Phase Two reopening plan.

Provincial and district education officers will intensify daily assessments of teachers’ attendance registers at schools to establish staffing gaps which could be covered by hiring more teachers.

Already, Government has recruited 2 300 teachers, with an additional 3 000 to ensure Standard Health Operating Procedures are effected properly.

The monitoring will allow authorities to evaluate the extent to which this year’s syllabus has been covered and the methods that can be deployed to help pupils catch up.

Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Cain Mathema told The Sunday Mail that all schools are adequately prepared for reopening.

The Ministry’s communication and advocacy director Mr Taungana Ndoro said monitoring will allow authorities to assess gaps in staffing levels.

“There have been daily assessments going on and are still ongoing.

“We anticipate the number of pupils attending school to increase as more classes open,” said Mr Ndoro.

“We seek to establish gaps in terms of human resources so that regulations such as social distancing can be properly implemented. However, in terms of preparation, schools are ready to open on Monday.”-The Sunday Mail