'Strong OMT advice needed for further opening of secondary education'
Secondary education should only be reopened if the Outbreak Management Team (OMT) clearly indicates that this is justified. That's what the AOb. “It's about the health of teachers and support staff in schools. You shouldn't take any risks with that. ”
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The cabinet would like secondary schools to open again. In addition, the current 17 meters distance between pupils would be eliminated, so that they can all return to one classroom. On request, the OMT, which advises the cabinet in the corona crisis, will issue advice in the week of 25 May on whether this further opening is justified at that time. After that, the decision will be taken, no later than 1 May. The schools could then reopen on June XNUMX.
"Our members - the teachers, support staff, school leaders and other educational staff at the schools - are naturally concerned about safety," says AObdirector Henrik de Moel. "The safety of students, their parents and their own. Because is it responsible to fully reopen schools as long as so many people have not yet been vaccinated?"
We assume that the one and a half meters between students and teachers will be maintained
According to De Moel, the OMT must make a very firm and clear statement about this. “Everyone wants to go back to school. Education is about contact – about contact between students and teachers. And that contact is simply less easy to establish via a screen. And the hybrid education, where half of the students are taught in the classroom and the other half online - as is often the case at the moment - is actually the worst of both worlds. Because you can't give both groups of students the attention they deserve at the same time.”
Bizarre
But it must of course be responsible for all students to return to school. “In any case, we assume that the distance of 1 meters between the students on the one hand and the teachers and support staff on the other is maintained,” says De Moel. “When the OMT has doubts, we say: choose safety. Because it has been a bizarre year, if necessary, everyone will keep it up for the last six to eight weeks, from June XNUMX to the summer holidays. Let's not make any victims now that the port is just coming into view. ”
Mbo
For MBO, HBO and WO, the ministry does not expect any further relaxation before the summer. The OMT is still being asked for advice on possible measures in the coming academic year.
