AOb: 'Protect education staff better during corona'
De AOb calls on the outgoing cabinet to take more measures to protect teaching staff against corona. It must also quickly become clear when young people between the ages of twelve and eighteen are due for vaccinations.
Picture: TypeTank
De AOb is disappointed that tonight's press conference did not pay attention to the protection of teaching staff. “As a trade union, we are not an OMT, so we assume that the previously announced measures - such as the opening of primary education and the partial opening of secondary education and vocational education - are indeed responsible”, says AObdirector Henrik de Moel.
But De Moel calls on the outgoing cabinet to do more to protect teaching staff. "Provide more rapid tests and expand the existing pilots with rapid tests, and ensure that the promised self-tests become available as soon as possible. More protection is needed against contamination, especially now that we notice that maintaining the one and a half meter distance between the students in the corridors and in the auditorium is hardly possible in practice, especially now that higher education may reopen one day a week from the end of April."
Outside of healthcare, I can't imagine a profession where you are currently in one limited space all day with 15 to 35 others
Also, the AOb repeat that teaching staff priority must receive with vaccinations. De Moel: “Education people are really on the front line. Apart from healthcare, I cannot imagine a profession where you spend the whole day with 15 to 35 others in one limited space during this corona time. Teachers really deserve that extra protection. ”
The cabinet should also make it clear soon when it is the turn of the group of twelve to eighteen year olds for vaccination. "Because that is also important for the full reopening of education," says De Moel.
Cabinet, speed up vaccination
De Moel receives from AObmembers worrying signals about how corona is spreading in education in recent weeks. “One of our members himself has three children at three schools, and he receives an email almost every day that a class at one of those schools must be quarantined. Last week his son was at home for a few days. His son's teacher was also infected while she is in the third month of her pregnancy. Fortunately she does not seem to be very ill, but these signals make me sleep badly. I say: Cabinet, ensure accelerated vaccination. ”
Workload
If teachers are vaccinated more quickly and if more rapid tests and self-tests are used for staff and students, all schools can also get out of the lockdown more quickly. De Moel: “And that is badly needed, because this crisis is taking a heavy toll on students and staff. The workload is increasing enormously and with online lessons you rarely achieve the quality of a traditional lesson in the classroom. So the backlogs are increasing. And they have to be caught up later. ”
Education is running out of steam, the least the outgoing cabinet can do now is provide more protection and perspective
Because of the high workload, teachers sometimes even decide to change retired earlier to go. “We have received the necessary signals about this and that is a very worrying development,” says De Moel. “In these times of teacher shortage, we need all the strength for the class. can do now is provide more protection and perspective. This is in everyone's interest. From staff, students and parents."
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