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The Minister of Education, Raul Figueroa, defended this Wednesday in Cooperative the insistence that he has shown in advocating a “voluntary, safe and gradual” return to face-to-face classes, officially suspended since March after the arrival of the pandemic, and assured that he responds to requests made by the educational communities themselves.
“I am branded that I am insistent about going back to school and yes, I admit it, because I insist on an issue that I think is fundamental for the development of students, “said the Secretary of State in an interview with What Remains of the Day.
The minister confirmed that at least 53 schools in the Metropolitan Region have begun to reopen their doors to return to the classroom. Several of them correspond to schools in the eastern sector of Santiago, in which they finalize the preparations: they aim to put the main focus of the eventual return on the major courses, on all the Middle Quarters, and on the emotional aspect.
“To date we have about 230 establishments that have requested to return to face-to-face classes. There are already 53 that are operating and together they must be of the order of 6,500 and 7,000 students in total,” he said.
In this context, Figueroa rejected the position of the president of the College of Teachers, Mario Aguilar placeholder image, who has questioned and branded as “stubborn” the campaign promoted by the Mineduc and urged the creation of a work table to evaluate sanitary conditions.
“The question is: If there are health conditions in some territories that are already defined by the health authority and there are communities that want to mobilize to recover that educational experience, because Mr. Aguilar says so, are we going to close the door? I think it’s a bad idea, “the minister lashed out.
“Here there is not only a learning issue, but there is a socio-emotional development, to address different aspects of the development of students that is very relevant, “he emphasized.
Asked about the economic considerations involved in the discussion for the return to the classroom, he pointed out that “It is tremendously offensive to say that Mineduc works with an interest other than that of ensuring the maximum development of students.”
Early closing of the school year? “There is no possibility”
In Cooperative Figueroa also reaffirmed that “there is no possibility” that the closing of the school year will be brought forward due to the pandemic, arguing that doing that “It would be an additional damage to the students”.
“The way the year will end, of course, depends on the health reality and the will of each establishment to return or not,” he added.
The replica of Mario Aguilar
After being summoned by Figueroa, Mario Aguilar replied on his Twitter account.
“The school communities have deep mistrust of the government’s plans. If people realize that here economic interests are more important for the Government than taking care of health, are schools going to reopen just because Mr. Figueroa imposes it?“, tweeted the president of the College of Teachers.
School communities are deeply mistrustful of the government’s plans. If people realize that here economic interests are more important for the government than taking care of health, are schools going to reopen just because Mr. Figueroa imposes it?
– Mario Aguilar (@AguilarMario) September 30, 2020
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