About 80% of teachers and other staff in schools have been fully vaccinated, either in the first dose or have recovered from COVID, and will be encouraged to vaccinate both staff and students, Education Minister Prodromos said. Prodromou. The Minister informed the Parliamentary Education Committee on Friday about the beginning of the school year.
The committee observed, at the beginning, a one-minute silence in memory of Mikis Theodorakis.
The Minister stated that it is the third school year affected by a pandemic and the second that starts with a pandemic, however this year we have more knowledge and experience and along with health insurance, we also take care of education.
The teachers of Mesi have been in the schools since yesterday and the students of Gymnasiums and Lyceums return on 7/9 while the elementary students enter the classrooms on 13/9.
According to the Minister, 12.000 children are attending pre-primary education this year and a significant increase is being recorded because the decision to extend the study limit to six years is being implemented. 49.819 students will attend primary school from 52.124 last year with a reduction of 4% and with several departments that will not operate nationwide, 40.636 students will return in the middle and 4.721 students in the technical department.
In the middle there is a decrease of students by 1,7% but the Minister said that the number of teachers is increasing.
Return with physical presence and protocols
Mr. Prodromou stated that the management of the pandemic in our country allows us to return with a physical presence and that is the goal. "It simply came to our notice then. "But we do not stop being vigilant," said the Minister.
He said the special advisory group for schools recommended physical presence and the avoidance of horizontal measures in schools, adding that the common orientation is to avoid general decisions and to have targeted restrictive measures in schools if necessary.
He added that in any way there will be encouragement of vaccination and that the data as of yesterday show that around 80% of teachers and staff are fully vaccinated or with the first dose, or have recovered from coronavirus and an effort will be made to increase the percentage as he said, "certainly 20% is not for medical reasons that he was not vaccinated".
The Minister reminded the rule for providing safepass in schools, reiterating that there will be mobile units for rapid test which must be submitted twice a week (valid for 2 hours) for secondary education.
Mr. Prodromou said that this year begins with comparative advantages of knowledge / experience and vaccines. He praised the role of principals and teachers who, he said, know what to do and gave writing samples, proving that in general our schools operate safely.
To a large extent, he said, the students enforced the rules and wished, he added, that the same measures were followed outside of school.
Regarding vaccination, the Minister said that specialists will visit secondary schools mainly to talk to students about the pandemic and the mutations and benefits of vaccines. Mobile units will also be vaccinated.
Regarding the primary schools, Mr. Prodromou said that the use of a mask will be encouraged in the second cycle, and admitted that the primary schools are not equally protected and this has been said by the experts with recommendations for the use of a mask for younger children, however, according to the Minister, the parents react. "We will encourage the use of a mask, seminars will be held, and an information booklet will be distributed to parents, because cooperation is always necessary," he said.
Staffing - Innovations
Mr. Prodromou said that the staffing was completed 2 weeks ago, earlier than other years and stated that some shortcomings in terms of books or non-completion of appointments will be addressed. He stated that the preparations were made by the school ephorates for single desks and that while the planning in August 2020 was for 20.000, at the moment we have almost 48.000-50.000. Regarding the distributions, he explained that this does not concern the Ministry, as the ephorates belong to the local authorities.
He said diagnostic tests would be introduced in pre-primary and primary education to prevent learning and other gaps and that a team of psychologists would conduct research in schools on the psycho-emotional effects of the pandemic.
Also from this year the French language is introduced from 2α Lyceum in number of Lyceums and from time to time in everything and that the institution of the all-day high school in Pancyprian is introduced as a pilot. Mr. Prodromou also stated that the goal is the horizontal integration of the digital classroom in the whole range of education.
Regarding the visual material and the books of the technical education, the Minister said that 15 books have been completed but it is a small part for the technique and an effort is being made to secure them from Greece.
He also referred to the strengthening of the teaching of learning the Greek language for children with immigrant biographies.
Interventions of Members of Parliament
At the meeting, MPs asked questions to the Minister in relation to the pandemic but also to issues related to staffing.
Christos Christofidis of AKEL stated that according to data from the Ministry, this year there are 65 fewer departments, however we have up to 25 children in the classrooms and more than 7.700 hours of teachers are supplemented by purchasing services. He also asked questions about the protocols for case tracking and the installation of air conditioners.
Chrysanthos Savvidis of DIKO submitted questions for the reduction of the number of primary school contractors, for the issues of foreign language students and for the reduction in the admission of students in the technical schools.
Andreas Apostolou of EDEK asked for the consultation for children with special needs and for the attendants to be expanded and for the all-day school to be planned as well as to connect the technical education with the labor market and to eliminate unemployment.
On behalf of ELAM, Andreas Themistokleous asked to know why some universities decided to accept students only with vaccination, saying that it is a challenge to say that their decisions are above the law.
Alekos Tryfonidis of DIPA referred to the need to speed up the vaccination in schools and to control the school ephorates for the distribution of single desks.
Statements after the meeting of the Commission
The Chairman of the Education Committee, Pavlos Mylonas, stated that he is taking the initiative on the issue of the four-month exams for the students of the third Lyceum, who will have to attend a total of three exams, ie 2 for the four months and one for admission to universities. Mr. Mylonas said that the implementation of the institution should either be postponed or abolished.
DISY MP George Karoullas stated that the new school year begins with the best omens and dozens of new specialized actions. He said that the staffing of the schools was over 99%, the number of teacher appointments has increased and despite the individual problems, things are moving in the right direction.
AKEL MP Christos Christofidis criticized the Minister of Education that he is either unprepared to present evidence or deliberately misleads the Parliament. He said that not only did the number of teachers not increase, as the Minister says, but for Primary education it decreased by 21 teachers. He also said that teaching hours for children with illiteracy, immigration biography or psychological problems were reduced by 25%.
EDEK MP Andreas Apostolou pointed out that special education needs to be improved and that in the context of the dialogue on unified education, all those involved should be invited to submit their positions.
DIPA MP Alekos Tryfonidis pointed out that a dialogue should be held on the issue of the four months and welcomed the initiatives of the Ministry, among others, for vaccinations, the introduction of digital classes and the all-day high school.