The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Mr. Prodromos Prodromou had a meeting yesterday at the Ministry and discussed with the Advisory Group of Experts on issues of operation of schools in pandemic conditions.
The subject of the meeting was the report of the implementation of the special health protection measures during this school year and during the last period with the conduct of the Pancyprian Examinations, as well as concerns about the next school year.
From the side of the experts participated the head of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Konstantinos Tsioutis, Dr. Zoi-Dorothea Pana, the President of the Pancyprian Medical Association, Dr. Petros Agathangelou, the Secretary of Pediatric Medicine Officer in the School Services, Medical Services and Public Health Services of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Irini Kotter. The Head of Safety and Health, Mr. Elias Markatzis, and officials of Secondary and Primary Education also participated from the Ministry of Education.
Admittedly, health protection measures, despite the difficulties that have existed, have been implemented very well in schools. The experts stressed that although it is still impossible to make predictions about the situation that will prevail next autumn and in the new school year, we must be vigilant and the Ministry must be prepared for the possibility that it will be needed again. to apply some health protection measures. It was noted that these are probably not measures that will need to be implemented on the same scale and with the intensity we have experienced in the recent past, but we will have to be ready to adapt. The issue of vaccination at a younger age and whether it may affect the student population was also discussed on the occasion.
According to the evaluation, it is recorded that it is very important that there is already significant experience, as well as information or training of teachers. The experts clarified that there is still nothing specific about vaccination in young people and that depending on the development of research and concerns that are becoming more widespread, this issue can be discussed again. It was agreed, however, that in the case of higher education students it would be useful, in addition to the vaccination already planned and being promoted, to discuss a university vaccination program, to which universities with medical schools or medical schools could make a significant contribution. nursing.
The experts submitted suggestions and the Minister assured that the Ministry is already preparing for the new school year in terms of health insurance. He also thanked the medical experts for their advisory contribution so far, as well as for their willingness to continue to support the Ministry with science and education and education. He also reiterated the thanks of the Ministry of Health to Dr. Zoi Pana, other members of the Scientific Advisory Committee, as well as officials of the Ministry of Health for a series of training seminars offered to a very large number of teachers and especially to management teams, to those who took over of health protocols, in categories of employees who were in the front line (such as Special School staff, Escorts, etc.), as well as in groups of organized parents.
It was agreed that, in parallel with the preparation that takes place at the Ministry, a new meeting will take place when there will probably be more specific data.