Students and parents will have to start their Easter holiday slightly later as the end-of-term half-day has been changed to a full day.
The Department of Education Services, in a press release issued Friday, announced changes to two end-of-term days, saying that was necessary to “ensure students meet the required instructional days”.
DES Director Mark Ray, in explaining the change, said the Education Act mandates 185 instructional days per academic year.
“The school closure on 6 February due to severe weather and the reinstatement of a public holiday on 6 May have created a two-day shortfall. These changes ensure our students receive the full course of instruction as required by law,” he said in the release.
Originally scheduled half-days on 28 March and 28 June, those dates will now be full-day sessions for all public-school students.
One parent, speaking to the Cayman Compass about the short notice, said while she understands the need for the change as students are falling short of the required sessions, she said the announcement should have been issued earlier.
“I will just have to work through my day and get [my grandson] after, but I can see it being an inconvenience for parents that already have plans in place for the holidays. They need to be better organised and communicate in a timely manner,” she said.
Another parent said the change did not affect her upcoming travel plans for the holiday weekend as it did not cause an issue with making her flight.
Ray, in the statement, said the DES understood the adjustments may cause inconvenience.
“We sincerely apologise for any disruption this may cause to family schedules. The DES remains committed to providing quality education for all our students,” he said.
The department has also made changes to the scheduled 31 May professional development day, which will now be a regular school day for students.
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