brand logo

Increasing Covid-19 cases: Will schools face closure again?

05 Dec 2021

 
  • Education TUs request adequate facilities
  • Teacher-Student-Parent Safety Committee seek return to online learning
  • Parents and adults should be more responsible: Dr. G. Wijesuriya
   By Sarah Hannan As the number of Covid-19 infections across the country gradually rise amidst concerns of a new Covid-19 variant, education trade unions are urging the Government to provide necessary facilities for all schools to effectively adhere to the health guidelines.  Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union (CTSU) General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe, commenting on the present status in the school education sector, stated: “Although the Government was enthusiastic about reopening schools over the past few weeks, they have not shared the same enthusiasm in providing the necessary facilities to safeguard schoolchildren and the school academic and non-academic staff from Covid-19. With several teachers testing positive for Covid-19, teachers who were close contacts of the infected teachers had to bear the cost of getting a PCR or rapid antigen test. It is also unclear as to how the teachers are to apply for leave if they are to undergo quarantine.”  Furthermore, Jayasinghe also revealed that the Ministry of Education Secretary had issued contradictory circulars about how the syllabus should be covered for students sitting for national examinations.  “Initially it was communicated that the fundamentals of each subject would be covered according to the special learning recovery plan that was drawn up by the National Institute of Education. However, on 26 November, another circular was issued by the Education Secretary cancelling those instructions and specifying that the syllabus should be covered in full for all subjects for the respective grades,” Jayasinghe elaborated. He pointed out that due to the indecisive actions of the Education Secretary, teachers were facing difficulties readjusting their lesson plans, and the students who were getting ready for national examinations were burdened with having to cram  lessons within a short time. Concerns over increasing infections Meanwhile, the Teacher-Student-Parent Safety Committee (TSPSC) raised concerns over the various news reports that indicated many teachers and students contracted Covid-19 since schools reopened. In a communiqué released recently, the TSPSC highlighted that over the past six weeks, more than 1,000 students and 100 teachers were infected in schools around the country.  According to Ceylon Teachers’ Union President Priyantha Fernando, over 200 students from the North Central Province alone had tested positive for the virus. Additionally, the Southern Provincial Department of Education Director reported, on 15 November, that 148 students and 78 teachers had been infected in the Province. In the Kurunegala District, a primary school in Kotawehera was closed after three teachers tested positive for Covid-19, and parents were reluctant to send their children to school thereafter; in the same district, eight teachers tested positive at the Maliyadeva Girls’ School. Epidemiologists from the Kilinochchi District stated that over 100 students were among 1,500 people infected with the virus from the region in the two months up to 26 November. More cases are getting reported from other districts as well, the TSPSC stated. The TSPSC noted: “The Government is not paying close attention to the situation in schools and has not compiled reports about the rising numbers of infections in schools. Considering the news reports, it is clear that keeping schools open is accelerating the spread of the deadly virus, placing the health and lives of students and teachers, and their families, in grave danger. By October, the number of Sri Lankan children infected with the virus since early 2020 had climbed to 59,000 with 67 deaths.”  To save the lives of children, the TSPSC put forward the following demands:
  • Close all schools and provide computer and high-speed internet facilities free of charge to all students and teachers until the pandemic is brought under control
  • Close all nonessential production while providing workers and the masses with wages, allowances, and other basic needs
  • Allocate adequate funding to increase Covid-19 testing, establish proper quarantining and treatment facilities, and properly staff the grossly underfunded health system
  • The immediate provision of free vaccines for all
Important to conduct schools The Sunday Morning spoke to Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children Director Dr. G. Wijesuriya on his thoughts about keeping schools open at a time there is an increase in cases of Covid-19 across the country. Responding to our query, Dr. Wijesuriya noted: “Keeping schools open is important, as the student population of our country has lost more than a year and a half of their school life. Children were confined to their homes and were deprived of living a normal life, which resulted in many children becoming depressed and stressed. There was an increase in children being brought to psychiatric clinics in our hospitals. Among them were children suffering from various mental disorders such as stress, anxiety, and depression. Reopening schools can have a positive impact on children and ensure their mental wellbeing.” According to Dr. Wijesuriya, the rate of infection among children was far less than the rate of infection among adults, and he noted that infected children have a higher rate of developing immunity than adults. Therefore, if there is no other disorder or illness the children were suffering from, they were less likely to become severely ill.  “According to studies, Covid-19 is much less likely to be transmitted from child to child. But children are more likely to be infected by parents and adults. Therefore, parents and adults should pay close attention to not getting infected when they leave home for work or essential activities. It should be made clear that parents and adults should not act irresponsibly with regard to health safety just because they have received the required vaccine doses. The vaccine is intended to reduce the risk of exacerbation and death. There is a possibility of infection even after vaccination. Therefore, it is imperative to follow all health guidelines regarding Covid-19 even after completing the number of injections,” Dr. Wijesuriya explained.  All attempts by The Sunday Morning to speak to the Minister of Education and the Secretary to the Ministry of Education, on the measures in place to reduce infection among children and teachers and on whether schools would be closed if infection rates hiked, proved futile. How to safeguard your child from Covid-19  When asked as to how children could be safeguarded from Covid-19, Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children Director Dr. G. Wijesuriya noted: “We have identified four instances and have made parents and teachers aware of the need to monitor children under those circumstances. We have instructed parents and teachers to pay close attention to the safety of the child on all four occasions and if a child shows any signs of illness, we have instructed them to seek treatment as well as to seek Covid-19 tests on medical advice as needed.” He listed out the steps as follows:
  1. Check and prepare the child before sending him or her to school. If the child has symptoms such as cough, cold, or fever, it is not advisable to send the child to school at all. In addition, if a relative at home has Covid-19 or is displaying similar symptoms, and the child was in contact with that person, it is not advisable to send them to school. Parents should guide the child on how to protect themselves from germs by teaching them the proper handwashing techniques and respiratory etiquette. Moreover, they should be guided on how to wear a facemask properly
  2. The child should be concerned about safety while travelling from home to school. Parents need to clearly inform their children how to take precautions when travelling to school, whether on public transportation, in a school van, or on foot. It is also important to follow the Covid-19 guidelines on those transportation services 
  3. At school, the classroom should be kept clean, including desks, benches, etc. In addition, there should be constant supervision of children in school. Special attention should be paid if the child has any medical condition or develops any symptoms while at school
  4. Parents should pay close attention to their child when he or she returns home from school. Upon returning from school, their school clothes should be removed immediately and the child should take a wash and their uniforms should be washed as well. Parents should also pay attention to giving the child proper nutrition, food, and water that boosts their immune systems


More News..