The Central Board of Directors of OELMEK is meeting this morning to discuss various issues of concern to the Organization and one of them is the decision of the Council of Ministers on the implementation of the Test to Stay in schools.
In a statement to the Cyprus News Agency, OELMEK President Kostas Hadjisavas said that as they said at last Monday's meeting at the Ministry of Education, they noticed a disparity in the implementation of health protocols inside school premises compared to what is implemented outside the school units.
"We are not satisfied with the arguments they told us, because they endanger the health of students and teachers and their families, and so on," he said."
He added that "today the Central Council will be informed of what we have said. Let's see what opinions, what suggestions there will be on this issue."
In response to a question, Hatzisavas said that the OELMEK's position is that schools must function normally with the physical presence of both students and teachers, but above all with safety and health, and without any discounts on health issues.
There is an issue here, he said, "they made a decision about students who are close contacts and even unvaccinated". "Here's the issue there," he added."
While, he noted, "it says in the health protocol that close contact unvaccinated, whoever it is, whether it's a student, whether it's an adult or a child, is put on mandatory self-limitation for a period of time, with this decision they're saying we're nullifying the definition of close contact inside schools, but when it goes outside the school it applies. "This unevenness in the implementation of health protocols we cannot understand," he said.
On this issue of close contact, he continued. Hatzisavas, the OELMEK's position is that, what applies outside the school for close contact to unvaccinated persons, should also apply inside the school.
"Why change it now? We cannot understand that the close contact can walk around freely in the school, but as soon as he leaves the school at 13.30-14.00, he has to go inside. Why this discrimination?"
"Why not let him go to cafeterias where there are 30 people or to the stadium or one or the other, if they think there is no danger?"
"That's what we said at Monday's meeting. This will inform Central and we will see what decisions there will be and in consultation with the other organizations," he noted.
He added that measures are not an end in themselves, "but if there is a recommendation and a majority vote, it is not excluded that we will go to measures."
"They must understand that they cannot discriminate," he added.
Besides, an extraordinary board meeting to assess the situation and take decisions is being held today by the PDED.
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs Cyprus Times
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Source
