Coronavirus and emergency powers in safeguarding educational sector
THE EDITOR, Madam:
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS across Jamaica have begun to exercise caution and protective measures to ensure the safety of stakeholders during a possible outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). One area of concern, however, is how best students can access learning materials via Internet services if schools were to close down for a period.
We are aware that the government, through the governor general, can invoke emergency powers by proclamation via “subsection (4) of section 26 of the Constitution of Jamaica, which is issued upon the governor-general being satisfied (U) that a public emergency has arisen as a result of the occurrence of any earthquake, hurricane, flood, fire, outbreak of pestilence, outbreak of infectious disease or other calamity, whether similar to the foregoing ...”
If we are to treat COVID19 under the designation of “outbreak of pestilence, outbreak of infectious disease”, then with the closure of educational institutions, the Government needs to consider the availability of free Internet access, especially for those who are unable to afford the service.
One way is to ensure that among the “duties as the governor general may deem necessary or expedient for the preservation of the peace, for securing and regulating the supply and distribution of food, water, fuel, light, and other necessities ...”(The Emergency Powers Act). Here, ‘necessities’ should include our Internet providers enabling access via special codes issued from the educational institutions.
I am inviting the ministries of Education, along with Science and Technology to consider these provisions to facilitate learning from home as we seek to contain the spread of COVID-19 with less human contact.
IDUDLEY C. MCLEAN II
dm15094@gmail.com