Cabinet wants to provide clarity about ventilation before October
Primary and secondary schools must inform their staff and students whether the ventilation is in order by 1 October at the latest. This is what education minister Arie Slob says, who yesterday took action under pressure from the House of Representatives and the trade unions.
Picture: Piqsels
During the brief Minister Slob emphasizes to the House of Representatives that 'it is unclear whether aerogenic spread plays a relevant role in the spread of the virus, that ventilation systems do not appear to have played a role in the epidemic and that there is no reason to adjust current policy' .
Nevertheless, he set up a National Coordination Team for Ventilation in Schools, with Doekle Terpstra - formerly chairman of CNV, now chairman of Techniek Nederland - as chairman. This team must support school boards in mapping their buildings as quickly as possible. Key question: does the building comply with the Building Decree with regard to ventilation? If that is not the case, the school must seek advice from the GGD and draw up a plan of action.
Social peace
Doekle Terpstra said on Radio1 this morning: "If we have the complete picture by October 1, we will know what to do on a possibly larger scale." He also said that the cabinet measures should primarily create 'social peace'. The website Weeropschool.nl is to be expanded with questions and answers about schools, ventilation and corona.
Three questions AObChairman Eugenie Stolk:
Are you happy with this?
"Yes and no. I am happy that the subject has been taken up, but it should not be about removing social unrest. It must be about making schools safer. ”
Is compliance with the Building Decree enough?
“No, in the guide The PO and VO Council states much more extensively what a school must comply with than in the letter to the House. Even after the last Building Decree of 2012, Working Conditions Acts on ventilation in schools were passed. On those standardsthat go further than the Building Decree, a school must comply. ”
What do you recommend to teaching staff?
“In any case, always raise the alarm with your management or board if you have any concerns. We also want to know: what can the staff do if the board says: it is in order, the building is satisfactory, while the teacher or support staff knows that the room is always musty, or has installed a meter that is blowing? Where can you go? This must be clarified from the minister. ”
Tonight, the cabinet will hold another press conference at 19.00 p.m. on the measures against the corona virus. Károly Illy, chairman of the Dutch Association of Pediatrics and member of the Outbreak Management Team (OMT) yesterday called on secondary schools to require their students to keep a distance of one meter from each other if a second wave occurs. In the AD he says: “We now know that older teens certainly do spread the corona virus. The very last thing we want is for schools to close again. ''
Mouth mask
The VO Council wants the RIVM look again whether the current measures in secondary schools are sufficient. The umbrella organization of employers also specifically wants clarity about the use of masks in school buildings, for example for busy times such as the change of classes.
Check the FAQ about corona for education staff.
AObchairman Eugenie Stolk was a guest yesterday on the npo current affairs program 1Vandaag about ventilation in schools. Review the item.
