Summer school reinstated after a long absence

The government has officially reinstated its summer school programme, giving students a second chance to meet graduation requirements and advance to the next grade level without repeating the full school year.

Education Minister Sharie de Castro made the announcement during a recent broadcast of the Virgin Islands Voice programme, explaining that the initiative was restarted two years ago after being dormant for an extended period.

“For a very long time, we haven’t had summer school in the territory,” de Castro stated. “We would have reinstituted that, I believe, two years ago. And that really created that opportunity… before the students would have to wait and return to school for the full school year to retake their courses.”

According to Chief Education Officer Orlandette Crabbe, this year’s summer school will run from July 8th to August 1st, providing students with the opportunity to recover credits in subjects they did not pass during the regular school term.

“Students who need what we call credit recovery… can attend summer school. That’s the same for students who didn’t pass the EPE, whether English or Math,” Crabbe explained.

The programme is primarily aimed at 12th-grade students who narrowly missed the graduation criteria. However, it is also open to 10th and 11th graders who need extra help in specific subject areas.

Crabbe revealed that 96% of 231 twelfth-grade students in the public school system were successful this year. “That works out to about seven students who won’t be graduating with their class,” she said.

While these students won’t be able to walk at graduation, they can still obtain their school-leaving certificate once they complete summer school and meet outstanding requirements. “There is no second graduation ceremony,” Crabbe clarified. “But they do receive their certificate as soon as they’re able to make up… the credit recovery or pass the EPE.”

Minister de Castro emphasised that the summer school initiative is part of a broader plan to ensure academic success and timely progression for students. “That opportunity really assists students in being able to move on to the next grade level… based on them potentially being challenged in one subject area,” she stated.