With active cases in the double digits, the government has deemed it safe to begin reopening schools.

After this weekend, students from about 70 different schools across the country will be entering their classrooms for the first time in over a year.

But still, it won't be like pre-COVID days. As the Minister of Education explained, there is a checklist that each school has to pass before being approved for reopening. And while most of that checklist has to do with the safety of the students, Minister Fonseca told us last night on UnCut that the schools will also need a plan as to how they will incorporate blended learning â€" with both in class and online platforms.

"The last report I got Jules was yesterday and they said to me that 70 schools had applied to reopen on April 12th and of those 70 schools I think something like 45 or so had gotten approval already and for May 10th I think 109 schools or so have applied for May 10th to reopen. And there's a process, the schools apply, the ministry vets the application, then a team from the district education centre in their respective district visits that school to ensure that they are in compliance with the greenlight standard safety checklist that we have, once they meet those that satisfies us that they are in compliance with that checklist, we are satisfied with the plan they have submitted then the ministry issues a certificate authorizing them to reopen. Every school has their own approach, we're very flexible, but we want to ensure that just as you said, that students for whatever reason, parents are not comfortable, students are not comfortable, they're not ready to send their children to school, that the school will have a plan for those students. Now you talk about a full program for the students, but that may be the case and parents will have to bear that in mind when they make that decision."

"But even as you're cutting teachers' salaries, this is an unreasonable request. First of all, online learning had its own challenges, blended learning poses another set of challenges and we want to specify having certain kids in this week, having certain kids next week, and now you want to add a third component that's cruel and unusual, minister.

"What's the third component?"

"The third component is to have a full online platform as well."

"What you need is a plan for your school. That is what you need. And again, I repeat, if your school and your teachers are not ready, your school community is not ready in terms of being able to find that kind of support to students and their families then you are not ready to open and then you should begin to prepare for September."

Channel 7