Education Minister Daryll Matthew has confirmed that schools across Antigua and Barbuda will operate as normal on Thursday, September 17, dismissing a widely circulated school closure notice as fake.

The clarification follows the circulation of a graphic on social media Wednesday evening claiming that all public and private schools would be closed nationwide because of flash flood conditions.

The graphic, which carries the Government of Antigua and Barbuda’s Coat of Arms and Ministry of Education branding, was designed to appear as an official government notice. It stated that schools would remain closed due to the ongoing weather conditions and concerns for the safety of students and staff.

However, Matthew has confirmed that the information is false and that students are expected to report to school as usual on Thursday.

The Ministry of Education has also moved to alert the public that it did not issue the notice and that no nationwide school closure has been announced.

The false information began circulating as Antigua and Barbuda experienced periods of heavy rainfall on Wednesday, with a flash flood advisory issued for low-lying and flood-prone areas.

Despite the weather conditions, there has been no change to Thursday’s school schedule.

Parents, guardians and students are being encouraged to rely on official government channels and Ministry bulletins for information concerning school operations and to avoid circulating unverified notices.