As unfavorable weather conditions swept across Barbados, education officials have made the call to keep nearly all of the island nation’s educational institutions operational for the day, marking only one notable closure in response to unsafe conditions. Alexandra School, located in the country, has been forced to shut its doors Wednesday after severe flooding rendered the campus unsafe for both learning and occupancy, making it the lone outlier in the government’s decision to maintain normal school operations.
The decision to avoid broad campus closures came following a coordinated consultation between top leadership from two key government agencies: the Ministry of Education Transformation and the Barbados Meteorological Services. Dr. Ramona Archer-Bradshaw, the nation’s Chief Education Officer, held detailed discussions with Sabu Best, Director of the Barbados Meteorological Services, to assess the scope and severity of the ongoing weather systems. After a comprehensive review of meteorological data and on-the-ground conditions, the pair concluded that weather impacts were not extreme enough to justify shutting down schools across the country.
Even with the overall decision to keep schools open, officials acted swiftly to close Alexandra School once flooding was reported on the site. The priority of this closure is to safeguard the well-being of all students, teachers, and non-teaching staff who would otherwise be required to be on campus Wednesday. Beyond the closure at Alexandra, the Ministry of Education Transformation has issued clear guidance for families across the island, urging parents and guardians to take proactive steps to keep their children safe during their daily commute to and from school. Specifically, the ministry is encouraging caregivers to ensure young people wear proper weather-appropriate protective clothing, and to plan ahead for any potential travel hazards that may arise due to the ongoing bad weather.