Education staff concerned about full school opening
Teachers and support staff at primary schools have serious doubts about the cabinet decision to fully open the schools from 8 June. A third support the decision, while 69 percent would rather have continued the current situation with half classes.
Picture: Nanne Meulendijks
“The contamination risks must be monitored very closely and are important to determine whether schools can open completely,” says AObchairman Eugenie Stolk. “Our members are concerned about the health risks and feasibility.”
AOb- chairman Stolk: 'The contamination risks must be monitored extremely closely and are important to determine whether the schools can open completely'
Last week sent the AOb a questionnaire *Download the full report through this link. around which 7989 people have filled in. They work in regular primary schools and in special (primary) education. May 19 announced Prime Minister Mark Rutte indicates that primary schools may be fully open from 8 June, provided that studies show that this is justified. At the moment the primary schools are partially open and they work with half classes.
The results show that there are concerns: in mainstream education, 29 percent think that Rutte's decision is good, 69 percent would prefer to continue as it stands, with half classes. The support for the decision differs per group. For example, there is more support (42 percent) for a full opening among school leaders than among employees who are in a risk group or have a family member who belongs to it (18 percent).
To care
The main reasons for the concerns are the guidelines of the RIVM, such as keeping a distance of 59 meters and the hygiene measures. These are insufficient to maintain, according to XNUMX percent of the respondents. Many teachers see that the cleaning is not yet in order and are helping themselves. Keeping your distance is still reasonably feasible with half classes, but that becomes much more difficult when teachers are back in front of a full class and all parents are back at school.
According to 53 percent of the respondents, it is still too little clear about the risk of infection in children and half of the teaching staff needs to rest. Working with half classes has worked out well so far.
Switch over
“The cabinet decision means that education must switch very quickly for the third time,” says AObchairman Stolk. “It started with distance learning, then the half classes from 11 May and now the full opening. Our members wonder whether this is feasible. Certainly also because of the teacher shortage that was already there. This is now an even bigger problem because teachers from risk groups cannot go to school. In addition, they fear the health risks. The cabinet must conduct investigations into this and properly monitor it by June 8 to determine whether it is justified to open the schools completely. ”
AObchairperson Eugenie Stolk: 'Our members wonder whether this is feasible. Especially because of the teacher shortage'
In an open comment, a teacher writes that she would rather not be physically present in a large group. 'The fear of being infected is sometimes great', she writes. 'If my husband gets it, he won't survive as an ex-cancer and heart patient. Now I can get around the big group and the way I do it now I'm not scared. I think the time is far too short to be able to determine whether it was not dangerous to start on May 11. I wouldn't risk anything until the end of the school year. '
A school leader writes: 'I hope that schools will have the space to decide whether they will open fully or continue until the summer holidays as they are now. Whole days is nice, if parents are not afraid of this and if a school has enough teachers who do not belong to a risk group, so that enough classes can be staffed. '
Respondent: 'Full days are fine if parents are not afraid of this and if a school has enough teachers so that enough classes can be staffed'
Two in three teachers say they have worked physically at school despite fear of becoming infected. Only one third indicate that they have no difficulty at all in being physically at school again. People at risk are especially concerned. Nevertheless, 76 percent of them started working in mainstream primary education. In special (primary) education this percentage is 62. Stolk: “This shows that education employees always go for their students, even if they themselves or their housemates fall into the risk group. That's brave. ”
Special education
In special (primary) education, the schools have been fully open since 11 May. In this group, six in ten education employees indicate that they support the decision to keep it that way. Especially because it is good that the pupils receive full education and it gives them the chance to return to the 'normal rhythm'. 34 percent preferred that special education opened in the same way as their colleagues in regular education: with half classes and a partial opening.
Earlier decision
De AOb education staff has also asked for their opinion on it earlier decision from the cabinet of April 21. 40 percent of employees in special education indicate that they would rather have opened partially, 45 percent thought the full opening was a good idea. In regular primary education, there was more support for this partial opening decision: 72 percent indicate that they support this.
Gone
It is also striking that more than one third of the teachers indicate that all students have been to school, while this answer is ticked by only 14 percent of the non-teachers, including school leaders. The older the students, the more complete the classes after the May holidays, according to the sample: 40 percent of the teachers in group 8 indicate that all students have attended school. This percentage drops to 30 in group 3 and 24 percent in groups 1/2.
The older the students, the more complete the classes after the May holidays
School leaders and people with a function in pupil care estimate the number of children who did not attend school to be a lot higher than teachers with their own group. In special education, 20 percent of teachers indicate that all students were in school, compared to 12 percent of school leaders.
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