Hearing the ministry’s ambition for the return of the students, the mayors were amazed: is it worth doing?

The greatest burden falls on the municipalities

Mindaugas Sinkevičius, Mayor of Jonava, President of the Association of Municipalities, appreciated the possibility of returning students to schools in the “Events of the week” program. According to him, many mayors were surprised by such news. The interviewee wondered if it was really worth going back to school for a few weeks of contact learning.

“When the municipalities heard this news, we were very skeptical because the return of the students is not so easy. There are additional conditions that must be tested. The minister herself said that this return could work on the principle of chess: understanding that one week is contact training, the next week is distance learning. When you calculate how much is left here before the end of the school year and how many clogs will have to be taken in the form of tests, the question arises whether it is still necessary to try to return for a month or a half. . or three weeks. It is worth doing, in fact, many mayors had doubts, ”says M. Sinkevičius on the program.

When asked if city mayors are not consulted when considering such solutions, M. Sinkevičius assured that municipalities must in any case find solutions to contact learning problems.

“I think there is a lot of pressure on the Government and individual ministries. Parents, graduates, especially parents, want their children to receive a comprehensive education, networking. This is desirable in view of the launch of other spheres. It is also desirable that education be liberated. Of course, this is the position here, I would say, from the center: we think it needs to be opened in May, and now your concern is how to do it. If you have a hard time realizing it, you will know for yourself who will be the culprit. The ministry will say that they have provided opportunities and the municipalities that have not been able to do so will be informed. I am not sure that this decision is politically correct, “said the mayor of Jonava.

Municipalities are concerned about not achieving it

According to him, the ambitions of the ministry are too high and a large part of the municipal schools simply will not be able to prepare.

“I think it is difficult for schools to imagine. Last week’s meeting made it very clear to municipal leaders that training is possible outdoors, but we are not in Spain or anything like that. and we cannot study outdoors. And with such requirements, tests, a whole package of circumstances worth evaluating, the capital itself said that it will not be able to open, it cannot realize such ambitions of the ministry.

Some municipalities have kept the meeting so moderate, but after the meeting, some mayors called me and told me that we had to do something because we are not capable and we will not be able to do all this. The question is if this is necessary ”, commented the mayor of Jonava.

I’m not sure how it will work in the fall.

Asked about which education model would be more effective and how it would go in the fall, the interlocutor assured that so far the question of how to work after the summer remains open, and no one knows the answer.

“I will say it openly and without hesitation: sadly, but until now, until the fall, there are no plans, we live looking at the prospect of a few weeks, we put life in the short term, and I hope there is an opportunity to talk about summer in summer. In any case, we want to believe that the final year students will be vaccinated, the educators themselves will probably all be vaccinated, and what technical solutions await, so far this is an open question not only for municipalities but also for the ministry. If you ask how the training will take place in the new school year, then I don’t know how it will take place, ”says the mayor.

When asked if mayors and municipalities understand at all what is expected of them, the interviewee assured that the general objective and aspiration are understandable, but the means are lacking.

“Everything happens, and we criticize the central government, and they return criticism. Apparently, when there is a problem, a problem, a need to share responsibilities, then it becomes difficult; when there are achievements, everyone wants to assume it and delegate responsibilities. I would not say so critically that we don’t understand that fundamental objective, we understand that we need to get tested, we have to get vaccinated, that we have to prevent outbreaks. We must fight the virus by all means. I think after rejecting all the criticism, the lack of communication, we are still on the same front line and we are not trying to distance ourselves from tasks, ”says M. Sinkevičius.

Last week, I. Šimonytė stated that the government intends to make a decision on the return of 5th to 11th grade students to schools at a meeting to be held on Wednesday. The head of government also said that decisions on the return of students from 5th to 11th grade to schools “are substantial,” but that they must be prepared for implementation by municipalities. Among other things, I. Šimonytė stated that the prevailing opinion is that it is worth returning students to schools, although there are about two months to go until the end of the school year. Currently, most of the country’s primary school children have returned to schools and graduates will return as of May 3. Following the announcement of the second quarantine in Lithuania on November 7, most of the students studied remotely or mixed.