All possibilities for returning to school from next September are open as the increase in cases of the last few days brings all the scenarios to the table. Online courses, shift instruction and health protocols are the ingredients that will probably be the new school year with no decision having been made definitively so far.
What does the Minister state? Education in the offsite
As the Minister of Education, Prodromos Prodromou, stated to Offsite, plans are being made for the new school year and as the days go by, the final scenario will be seen. "There are plans for the new year. We will find out at the end of the month or the beginning of September what we will do depending on the epidemiological picture. Nobody knows yet. We are prepared for whatever is announced to us. One will be the scenario but we are preparing for all possibilities "
"It is a given that, no matter what happens, we will go to schools with a health protocol. We do not know exactly the data, because things are constantly changing but we will follow what the epidemiologists will tell us. We do not yet know what will happen, we have another month that may turn the data upside down again. In case they tell us that distances are imposed and it is not possible for all the children to go to school, we are ready to cover this possibility. It will not be easy, it will not be normal. The wish is to have a regular study ".
Staffing of teachers
According to the Minister, the staffing is done much faster than other years due to the situation. "These days there will be announcements from the Education Service and the Ministry regarding the staffing. This year they will be made earlier and we will make small adjustments regarding objections etc to be ready ".
Online courses
He added that plans are being made at the same time with the Ministry of Digital Policy for distance education. "We will cover distance education legally before the start of the school year, while at the same time we are strengthening schools in connectivity. We have been covered with children's equipment since last year. With the exception of a few cases in the Primary School, all the others who had stated that they needed tablets, the devices are in the schools and will be distributed. ”
Material
Regarding the material of last year and this year, the Minister stated that “this year it is predicted that around 10 days will be support for students for last year's lessons. The schools are preparing material for the first quarter, because last year we had material for the second quarter. The corresponding material for the first months for asynchronous education and for the websites of the schools is being prepared. Possibly, if necessary, we will also use the television. We are all more experienced compared to last year and we will meet every need ".
Dr. Koliou: The most probable scenario is rotational study
It all depends on the situation that will exist at the end of August, said to Offsite the Professor of Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases and member of the Epidemiological Team, Maria Koliou. "I think the most likely scenario is rotational attendance if this situation exists at the moment. One scenario is not to open at all, the other to open in rotation and for all students to go the situation must be excellent. As I see it now it is not. A good epidemiological situation presupposes cases less than 10 per day. That is why it is very important that we try to extinguish this outburst so that our children can go to school normally ".
"It's still not clear from the research that has been done if children are transmitting the virus. The point is that children have proven to be very disciplined, this is very important, at least for primary school children. This was a very good finding we made when the schools opened. So the schools opened well because now we are aware of the situation "
What parents and teachers say about the new year
OELMEK
As the president of OELMEK, Costas Hadjisavvas, told Offsite, “the Ministry of Education must have a comprehensive plan now taking into account all the parameters and not say that we have scenarios, because it seems that the issue with the coronavirus is serious. We will seek a new meeting with the Minister of Education and we will raise all issues before him. It is not possible to start the year with many cases and all students in schools. There are issues with students and teachers in vulnerable groups, adapting the material to the new conditions, moving departments and several other issues that need to be addressed. All this must be taken into account. There must be a real plan and not scenarios ".
POED
For its part, the POED emphasizes the need to plan the new school year. As stated by the General Secretary of the Organization, Haris Charalambous, “the issue and the correlation of Koronios with the beginning of the new school year is known. There is a doubt how the new school year will start after the outbreak of the virus and we expect the Ministry of Education to make the appropriate plans in time, so that whatever the epidemiological situation in the last days of August is ready to implement the corresponding scenarios for returning to schools ”.
Parents
The parents are also waiting for the decisions of the Ministry. According to the President of the Parents of Secondary Education, Charalambos Dionysiou, they are waiting to see the developments. "We are waiting to see the evolution and the data because day by day they change. Our principle is that if the schools open, all safety and health measures for children and teachers must be observed as they were before the schools closed. We are waiting to see the plan of the Ministry whether the teaching will be from a distance or in rotation.
We have stated to the Ministry that the mistakes or omissions identified should be resolved and we should be much more prepared regarding e-learning. We had the issue of evaluation and the children were not evaluated for the second four months so they have to find a solution for that as well. In terms of participation and absences in e-learning is an issue that needs to be addressed as well as the fact that a portion of teachers have not been able to make use of digital technology. So these teachers should be trained. All these issues need to be resolved. We have submitted a memorandum to both the Ministry of Education and the Parliament for about a month now with our concerns, in order to find ways to overcome them. "There should be a plan so we all know what will happen."
Source: Offsite