[ad_1]
“Education is important, and so is the health of our children,” said the director of the “Al-Akhbar” center, Fadi Al-Jardali, “Now is the time to reduce the transmission of infection in society to a level to allow schools to reopen safely. ” According to Al-Jardali, the center’s recommendation is based on the absence of three basic conditions that must be met before considering reopening schools:
– The rate of disease transmission in the community, as the numbers generate great concerns, especially with the increase in cases that cannot be traced and whose source is unknown.
A strict monitoring system, based on examinations, contact tracing and case isolation.
The willingness and capacity of the school to implement prevention measures, impose their application and maintain them, and its ability to adhere to the main mitigation strategies, in terms of correct use of masks, adherence to maximum social distancing, ensuring hygiene hands and respecting cough and sneeze etiquette, ongoing cleaning and sterilization, and contact tracing in cooperation with officials. Local health workers.
Al-Jardali does not rely much on the health protocol prepared by the Ministry of Education in cooperation with UNICEF to specifically reopen schools, considering that “the question is not what should the schools do alone, but is Lebanon generally ready to reopen? schools? Then we can ask other questions related to the implementation of the necessary procedures within the school environment.
From here, “the government must begin to establish transparent standards that must be achieved before the reopening of schools to create predictability and reduce the risk of politicizing any decision, and communicate with society about these standards, especially the multiple organizations involved in the field of public health and education, including municipalities. And non-governmental organizations ”. The most important thing is “clarity in the established criteria”, asking: “If a case of corona is diagnosed in the school, do the administrators, teachers and workers know what to do? Has a comprehensive assessment of the school environment and readiness been conducted? Or plan this evaluation as part of the protocol before announcing the opening of schools?
Al-Jardali pointed out that coordination should not be limited to the ministries, that is, to the ministries of education and health only, but “local public health officials (at the district / municipality level), school administrations, parents And the students must also be involved, who must also be surrounded by all the information and developments related to this. Theme. Hence the importance of establishing a healthy communication cell between all parties to avoid creating confusion and mistrust, as well as presenting evidence and scientific evidence and the justification of the policies and decisions taken on the opening / closing of schools. He explained: “We are not asking to close schools, but this stage specifically does not allow students to return to school. The situation can change after weeks or months. “
Subscribe to «News» on YouTube here
