Next Monday[/B] the landscape will clear and the final decisions will be taken in relation to the Test to Stay measure, announced by the government last Wednesday, which concerns primary and secondary school pupils who are contacts.
Final decisions on this measure will be made on Monday, 17 January 2022, at 15:00, during a meeting between the Minister of Education, Prodromos Prodromos, the Minister of Health, Michalis Hadjipandela, the Head of the Epidemiological Team, Konstantinos Tinoutis, representatives of educational organisations and parents' organisations.
It is recalled that the specific measure that was to be implemented, according to the government's announcements, next Monday, will not be implemented in the end due to the reactions that have emerged from the side of educational organizations and organized parents, while during Monday's meeting the ways of its implementation will be examined, i.e. whether the measure will be carried out by self-test or rapid test or in another way.
Double standards are needed, says P. Prodromou
According to what the Minister of Education said before the Parliamentary Committee on Education, which examined the issue of the introduction of the Test to Stay measure, "double calm is needed", stressing that from the Ministry's point of view everything possible is being done and suggestions are being adopted, if any, to find solutions to meet these circumstances.
Mr Prodromou stressed that "there is no point in reacting", noting that "unfortunately, there was agitation and anxiety, anticipating what would happen, while the practical implementation has not been precisely determined".
Analyzing before the members of the Education Committee how this measure was decided, he explained that there had been no specific arrangement with the Cabinet decision that the tests would be administered in one way or another
[/B][/B][/B][BR]He noted that at this time the Ministry of Health is making some arrangements and some preparatory work to see how it is feasible to implement this recommendation.
Replacements in schools
With regard to replacements in schools, the Minister responsible indicated that replacements in primary schools would be made, not only from the list of appointees, but also from the list of kindergarten teachers, appointees and teachers of literature.
In addition, he said it had been decided that teachers employed in programmes and services of the Ministry would be given an opportunity to register their interest in employment in schools.
According to the Education Minister, "last year we had record numbers of replacements in schools, but those numbers paled in comparison to the numbers we have this year," noting that "from day one it was obvious that with the replacements we were only meeting part of the need - about two-thirds - and it would be necessary to fill the remainder with internal arrangements in schools."
In addition, he said that teachers know that if their colleagues are absent, they will have to make substitutions.
At 10% teacher absences
The Education Minister said that teacher absences from schools are around 10%, to note that student absenteeism is around 6% and absences for other reasons are around 4%.
Specifically, Prodromou said that teacher substitutions that had to be made due to COVID-19 outbreak and contact absences were in the range of 5.6%, while a figure of 3.7% involved substitutions and replacements of teachers who were absent for reasons other than the pandemic.
He went on to say that "with effort and difficulty we have resulted in no classroom without a teacher", explaining that it was difficult to achieve this, especially in secondary education, where teacher absence can affect many departments and even more than one school.
With regard to the shortages of Secondary Education teachers since schools started last Monday, the Education Minister said these shortages were in the region of 8 per cent.
More specifically, he said that on Wednesday the percentage rose to 9.6%, while yesterday, Thursday, a retreat was recorded with the percentage being below 9%.
He also noted that the number needing replacement in Secondary Education is higher. Specifically, he said that the need in secondary schools is over 10%, while in high schools it is around 7%.
"There is also a difference in the numbers of students absent, with a higher number in high schools, which is also related to their preparation for the semester exams," he added.
Seven contacts for every positive student, according to V. Silvestros
The head of the tracing team, Valentinos Silvestros, said that "with the numbers of cases and contacts we have at the moment, trying to keep schools open is very, very difficult," adding that "with the current protocols, a significant number of both students and teachers will be missing from schools."
He stressed that "it is not feasible to keep schools open if half of the students will be absent every week", while referring to the numbers he explained that "every one case indicates 7 people in the school as close contacts and if yesterday we had 267 cases in primary and secondary education, this means that about 3 thousand students will stay at home for a week, since most of the students are unvaccinated".
"So we are talking about a few dozen students every week," he said.
He explained that the Test to Stay measure emerged as an alternative to trying to keep schools open with physical attendance, and explained that based on epidemiology statistics, testing a child before they enter the classroom makes them less likely to transmit the virus until they are in school.
He also added that "there are practical issues and we have to think about what we gain and what we lose."
"If our intention," he said, "is to keep schools open, that is a measure that is being looked at, and I think we can implement it on a pilot basis and maybe not in all schools. At a planning level, we'll see how it's done."
According to Silvestro, there are thoughts of applying this measure more broadly in the community.
Tension over the Test to Stay measure
Moreover, during the session in the Education Committee, tension was caused between AKEL MP Andreas Kavkalias and the Minister of Education.
Commenting on the test to stay measure, the AKEL MP noted that the government announced a measure that it was unable to explain, saying that as a government it could not support itself many times.
As he said, while they went ahead with the announcement, now they are running to see how it will be implemented.
In response to the MP, the Education Minister said that there is a pandemic and they are trying to take measures, while stressing that no decision was made without them knowing.
In addition, he said that this measure was proposed by the experts.
Piloting the new measure
Responding to a reporter's question after the meeting about the possibility of piloting the new measure, the Education Minister said that "this possibility has to do with the numbers, with the frequency of cases, the number of contacts, the geographical location of schools."
"This is what the Ministry of Health is studying and it is something I would not want to anticipate or guess," he said.
Gaps in teachers due to outbreaks or close contacts, say Education Organisations
The President of OELMEK, Kostas Hadjisavas, denounced "gaps and shortages" in teachers due to outbreaks or close contacts.
He said they "come out of the woodwork" and "there are serious problems in the operation of schools."
He expressed disappointment at the Test to Stay measure, saying it is a dangerous practice for vulnerable groups. He also questioned how the government is making decisions without dialogue with those who will be asked to implement the measure.
He asked for the support of the House to reinstate the term close contact, as it was before, meaning that contacts remain in isolation.
For her part, PDED President Myria Vasileiou said that the existing solutions with substitutions "are not the best", while noting that teachers covered the substitutions to a multiple extent.
She called on the Education Committee to deal with the employment status of substitutes, while she expressed dissatisfaction with the Test to Stay measure, because, as she said, "there is no channel of communication with the relevant authorities and experts".
He described as "contradictory, unjustified and undocumented" the decision to operate kindergartens, pre-primary and special education without presenting a rapid test.
Statements by MPs
The President of the Committee, Pavlos Mylonas, said that everyone must be alert.
On the Test to Stay measure, he said it is being attempted as contacts of outbreaks are under control, and expressed hope that the goal of keeping schools open safely will be achieved.
DISY MP George Caroulas said the goal is to keep schools open safely. He noted that responsibility and not questioning is required.
In a statement, AKEL MP Christos Christofides spoke of "sloppiness and unpreparedness" on the part of the ministry in relation to the operation of schools, while stressing that the government announced the Test to Stay measure and then withdrew it, while they do not know how it will be implemented and do not know what they have decided.
He noted that it is a measure with "contradictions", noting that children are entitled to be in schools until noon and then quarantined.
PPP MP Alekos Tryfonidis said that what is needed is open and safe schools, while questioning whether Test to Stay is reliable and safe.
Source: KYPE
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