As the 2026-2027 academic year approaches, the Ministry of Education has unleashed a torrent of explanations for a last-minute one-week delay in reopening schools across the nation. The Ministry’s directive instructed school leaders to use the extra time for tasks such as finalizing staff assignments, completing classroom preparations, and conducting orientation activities. In a recent interview, on Monday Senator Lavern King offered a more descriptive and at times emotional defense of the delay. King cited the “heart-breaking” state of some facilities, describing schools with caving roofs, missing furniture, and empty water tanks. King argued that this move is “aggressive” and necessary to avoid a situation where schools simply would not open at all.