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As soon as the number of people vaccinated against the coronavirus reaches two and a half million at home, kindergartens, kindergartens and schools will open across the country within a week. Including secondary schools, which switched to digital education for students over the age of 14 as of November 11, Gergely Gulyás announced in Government Information on Thursday.
According to the minister in charge of the Prime Minister’s Office, this means that according to the decision taken at the government meeting on Wednesday:
the earliest dates for elementary schools to open can be April 12 or April 19, respectively.
The minister justified the dates by the need for a week of preparation time, in part to vaccinate teachers.
The vaccination of teachers will be done on a voluntary basis, after registration, just like everyone else in the country. Nursery workers will be vaccinated in the same way if they request it, emphasized Gergely Gulyás.
In response to a question from reporters, it emerged in a series of education-related cases that the government is still counting on maintaining its spring graduation. Written exams will take place in early May and oral exams in early June. (That is, unlike the practice of the first wave of coronavirus, referring to the epidemic situation, this year’s oral registration exams will not be missed.)
Is vaccination of teachers an unexpected twist?
As it did for a long time, including this week, on Tuesday, the government took the position that educators would not be taken in the line for vaccination. That is, like the majority of Hungarian citizens who request vaccination, they are classified in the order of vaccination according to their age and health status, and they receive a vaccine against the coronavirus.
Miklós Kásler, Minister of the Ministry of Human Resources (Emmi), who is partly responsible for education, responded to a question from parliamentarians on Tuesday that there is no priority for teachers. On the other hand, according to Péter Horváth, president of the National College of Teachers, this week it was revealed that they had recommended to the government the extraordinary vaccination of teachers.
Among other things, Péter Horváth and his colleagues argued when discussing with the government that reopening schools as soon as possible was in the interest of the whole of society, since a significant part of parents could only work if educational institutions were available.
It has now become clear that
The government has increasingly understood the growing demand for professional organizations representing educators to vaccinate workers who deal with children out of shift.
This puts them at greater risk and educational institutions can be potential hot spots.
The Democratic Union of Teachers (PDSZ) already specifically told the Index on Monday that teachers will even refuse to work if there is no vaccination, no substantial action will be taken.
The PDSZ also added that in addition to the new orderly school closure beginning March 8 and the transition to digital education, many parents will not be able to work from home and will therefore take advantage of the kindergarten and school on-call service. that the school provides. Government. Thus, the teachers on duty remained in the front line, with minimal protection, warns the professional organization.
According to their unofficial data, so far 60 teachers have died from the coronavirus infection – the Teachers Union (PSZ), the other major Hungarian education advocacy organization, reported this on Wednesday. They, in great agreement with their colleagues, believe that schools cannot open until teachers are vaccinated.
Educators do not have vaccination priority.
(Cover image: As part of the protection against the coronavirus epidemic, the soldier of the 93rd Chemical Defense Battalion Sándor Petőfi of the Hungarian Armed Forces performs disinfection at the Primary School and the Patrona Hungariae Kindergarten Primary School of Art in the capital on March 17, 2021. Photo: Balog MTI
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