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THERE were mixed reactions from parents interviewed by the Jamaica Observer as the Ministry of Education moves to reopen all public primary and secondary schools by the start of the new term on Monday. Education Minister Fayval Williams had announced last Wednesday, too, that a minimum 65 per cent of vaccination coverage for public schools remained a requirement for face-to-face classes.One parent, vocalising his displeasure at the Government's short-notice announcement, told the Sunday Observer that the Government came up short.A father of a daughter who attends St Martin De Porres Primary School in St Andrew, Achim Clunis said, "The Government is very unprofessional and lacks foresight. They haphazardly make decisions which leave regular, every day parents in limbo [and] uncertain of what is going to happen with regards to school and how they are going to make the necessary accommodations for that."They make an official announcement at the last minute, which leaves both the school administration and parents in a state of panic trying to get everything in place for everything to work properly," Clunis continued.He also added that after checking the shoes he bought for his eight-year-old daughter at the start of the new school year, he learnt that it no longer fits her. Therefore, Clunis said, he is now rushing to find a suitable pair of shoes for her.At the same time mother of two, Kerry-Ann Armstrong agreed with Clunis as she told the Sunday Observer that reopening schools for face-to-face classes Monday gives her no time to prepare adequately."Even though they don't have the full amount of the vaccinated kids to go back to school, [it's] still very short notice because we [are] not even out of the pandemic good yet, we're still going through it. We still [have] new variants and half the population have not yet been vaccinated, then you have persons who [are] just not prepared. It's not even the fact that they are not even vaccinated completely, we are not prepared," Armstrong said.Adding that some parents weren't even able to have a proper Christmas holiday because of financial constraints, Armstrong stated that, "We just a try scrape through...There's no money, no nothing. We cannot even make ends meet with the little resources we have and then they spring this on us. We have to now find uniform in the little holiday weekend, shoes [and] stuff to go back to school."She also explained that she was not against reopening schools, however, she believes that the Government needs to take a strategic approach when dealing with this issue."I want them to go to school but they should be more strategic and organised. Think about the parents who don't really have, and if you open back the school, how much parents have uniform put down for them pickney? If they don't get the full amount [of vaccination coverage], why open back so soon? Why not wait until we can get the full amount? March should be fine." Armstrong opined.Additionally, she noted that when her son started Calabar High School last year, she bought all the supplies needed for back-to-school, including his uniform, which he only wore for orientation, and now she said he has outgrown it."I personally have to get supplies for my son to go back to school if it's Monday they really opening...I didn't buy more uniforms for him because there was no face-to-face school. So, I must put him in the tight uniform? Them need fi give we a little bit more time, give the system a little more time to see if they can get at least 60 per cent [vaccination coverage] where the students are concerned," Armstrong told the Sunday Observer."Even though they [the Government] say it through the media, the school [Calabar high school] itself has not yet contacted us, so when are they going to contact us? Monday morning when the children should leave out? That don't make nuh sense," she went on to say, adding that she was in a state of suspense because she was not sure what will happen with her son's schooling.However, mother of two Makadia Russell was looking forward to school reopening on Monday."I think the children need to be out there getting face-to-face education. I don't think home school work for my children - they don't like it - so I am excited for them to be out again, both of them, one in high school and one in primary school. I think it's the best decision they are putting out there," Russell said.With her son and daughter attending Jamaica College and Excelsior Primary School, respectively, Russell said, "For my kids' schools I know that they are taking the necessary measures to protect them [with] the social distancing and the sanitising of the hands and wearing of masks, and all of that. My daughter will be out for two days and then the rest of the days at online school. [For] my son, I'm not sure as yet but he will be out also, but I am not sure of the number of days."Her son, 14-year-old Joshua Silvera, told the Sunday Observer that he is excited to return to face-to-face classes."I feel relieved and excited to see what's going to happen when [we get] back to school, because I am tired of online classes. I miss being in a classroom with everyone and being able to physically interact with my classmates and teachers," Silvera stated.In November, over 56,000 students of the 206,635 secondary school population were allowed to return to the classroom in preparation for exit examinations. Additionally, so far, only 21.3 per cent or 69,731 students aged 12 to 18, have been fully vaccinated, according to the health ministry.