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There is no doubt that the return comes after many challenges faced by the education sector, especially in distance education, which has shown little effectiveness as a result of poor infrastructure (internet, electricity, etc.), lack of skills enough of students, teachers and parents, as well as a lack of digital resources and programs. And the necessary platforms for this education.
The return comes after an online survey, which was answered by around 5,300 respondents, including teachers, parents, principals and educators; 57% of them supported the return to urban education, and justified the fact that children live their lives normally without adequate preventive measures (trips, parties, swimming pools …), while schools are safer and protective than all the places where they hang out. In addition, the epidemic, in his opinion, has become a matter to be lived, given that there is no clear timetable to eliminate it, in addition to the failure of the distance education experience. On the other hand, about 35% saw the need to postpone the return for two weeks or more, while only 4% rejected permanent education.
The demand of an acceptable group that face-to-face education be postponed for two weeks or more is part of the concern that schools will become the focus of the outbreak of the epidemic, given the doubts about their preparation and capacity to face the challenges of the next stage, especially the health ones.
There is no doubt that the printed image of the school in the minds of teachers, students, parents and all those who work in education will be different this year, and new challenges will inevitably reshape its image and role.
Many challenges impel us, as researchers, pedagogues and didactics, to ask ourselves many questions about the capacity of the school to now face the challenges of the next stage, especially in the absence of a systematic evaluation on the preparation for the return and the success of this return plan, which should be based on two main axes: preventive measures and organization of the educational process. And manage it.
Have the cases of teachers and students with chronic diseases been investigated?
At the preventive level, there are many worrying questions that will be answered in the next few days: Will the schools effectively adhere to the precautionary measures imposed by the conditions of the health protocol? It has been ensured that schools have the necessary procedures (an isolation room for cases that present symptoms, preparing the place where students will be subjected to temperature controls so that it does not generate overcrowding, placing information posters in school facilities to remember the commitment to the procedures, distribute the classrooms in a way that ensures spacing ….)? Have all schools been ensured the availability of all necessary tools and materials in accordance with the health protocol? Are teachers, parents and students informed of the content of the protocol? Did the parent councils participate in the preparation and planning? Have teachers and students with chronic illnesses who may be more vulnerable to infection been investigated, and have measures been taken on how they are doing in school? Will the ministry provide masks and preventive supplies for students on a permanent basis and will the Ministry of Health provide free screenings for teachers and students with symptoms? Will there really be health support for the Ministry of Health in all schools? Have parents been trained on the procedures to be taken when their children return home, in terms of reducing their contact with the elderly and people with chronic diseases, especially since children are more a means of transmission of the epidemic than how likely they are to become infected with it?
Given this, there are other challenges that teachers will face: Are these teachers trained on how to deal with the anxiety that will accompany students, and how to help them express their anxiety and provide them with psychological support? Are teachers psychologically and mentally prepared to return to education and face being more vulnerable to infection due to the great mix they will make between classes and with their peers?
As for the students, they will find themselves before a new educational reality, despite the fact that urban education provides them with an interactive environment that refines their personality and enhances their skills. Procedures (spacing, gag) Students will lose the freedom to communicate with teachers and their classmates, and to ask questions permanently about the conditions of use of the muzzle, and the educational class will lose a great atmosphere of discussion and dialogue, and his lack of all group activities (celebrations, parties, artistic performances …).
Likewise, the educational process will lose a large part of its components (reducing educational content by half, inability to carry out educational methods that require group work and cooperative educational strategies, reducing the use of educational tools to limit the transmission of the epidemic through them, especially in laboratories …).
Other questions arise: Will students be able to get textbooks as soon as possible? Were school principals surveyed about the readiness of their schools to enroll students? Will schools be prepared to compensate for the absence of teachers in case they are infected with the epidemic or are subject to a prolonged quarantine? What if the number exceeds the acceptable limit at any school? How will schools and classrooms with injuries be treated? What about preparations for public schools? Were the necessary funds available in your funds to provide all prevention requirements and educational and administrative requirements?
The success of the return requires the collaboration of all school and community efforts (students, teachers) and community (parents, civil institutions, community organizations, doctors, town halls, hospitals …) to achieve all the conditions, measures and procedures worthy of overcome this stage, otherwise we will run a great risk that could expose students and their families to the risk of the epidemic, as well as the loss of a new academic year.
* Educational researcher
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