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The school year in both educational centers and higher education institutions will start from September 1 by contact, in accordance with the established requirements. Part of the educational community must be vaccinated or have immunity to COVID-19.
The sadness of the teachers’ moods
History teacher Audrius Jurgelevičius does not hide the fact that he returns to school in the new school year, accompanied by ambiguous feelings. On the one hand, according to the educator, it will be fun to work with the students live, on the other hand, there are doubts about the safe implementation of face-to-face teaching.
“When it comes to ensuring safety, the main safety measure, according to the Ministry (Ministry of Education, Science and Sports – Aut. Pasado), is to persuade children and their parents to get vaccinated and tested. This is probably similar, knowing how to persuade adults in Lithuania to persuade children, ”said A. Jurgelevičius, vice president of the Lithuanian Union of Education and Science (LSMS).
His colleague, LŠMPS president, information technology professor Egidijus Milešinas, also agrees that the teachers’ mood is not the same for the second year in a row.
“The first thing is anxiety about how things will go. Because we all understand that the epidemiological situation is very unclear. Everyone probably understands that without distance education or hybrid learning, this school year will not be avoided. This worries the teachers about how things will continue, how long this contact education will last, ”E. Milešinas told tv3.lt.
In addition, he said, teachers were disappointed with the attitude of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports towards their work.
“Because we’ve been repeating since spring to prepare, look for funds to help teachers pay for the work that patient teachers have been working on for a year and a half. The latest actions by the Government and the Ministry show that the attitude remains the same as before, ”said E. Milešinas.
Advocates for mandatory tests for students
A. Jurgelevičius criticizes the ministry’s request to evaluate the students. Remember that last year, when families were kindly asked to test their children, contact education had to be abandoned in November.
Therefore, A. Jurgelevičius says that he believes that children returning to school should be subject to the same requirements as adults who want to obtain a passport: vaccinations or tests.
“I am not a lawyer, a human rights expert, but I believe that the standards that apply to adults in terms of safety, safe work, being in a public place should also apply to children.” As an educator, I believe that children should be required to do certain things, just like adults. Even more so because it deals with the affairs of the whole school, ”said the history teacher.
It is also supported by Dainius Žvirdauskas, Director of KTU Engineering Lyceum. In his opinion, if parents can fear the side effects of vaccines for their children, then those fears are completely unfounded due to the tests.
“My personal opinion about the tests is that they should be mandatory, which is the same as a medical check-up while driving a car on the way to work. What is the danger here of testing nasal swabs once a week when testing with the cumulative method? I don’t understand, “said the president of the Lithuanian Association of School Leaders.
However, E. Milešinas believes that the government has not deliberately pressured students to take the mandatory tests in an attempt to avoid resentment from parents and society.
“The government cannot make drastic decisions because the legislation may not allow them to do so. And we saw what happened in the spring, when it was stipulated that contact education should only be carried out with the tests carried out; only a small proportion of the students came to schools.
Probably the Government is afraid to assume such responsibility and to establish strict rules, seeing what is the situation, what is the general atmosphere in Lithuania. This left the evidence of a recommendable nature. The public would be really angry, therefore, apparently, the Government had decided not to heat up the situation ”, considered E. Milešinas.
Teachers lack information
Lack of clarity and information also contributes to teacher anxiety. A. Jurgelevičius says that ŠMSM’s communication with the educational community is too abstract.
“Communication is neither too much nor too little. It is abstract and says nothing, so whether there is more or less, nothing would change. Because the ministry repeats the same thing I said about persuasion.
Clearly, the additional measures that schools need to implement are flow management, disinfection, which were implemented last year, but are largely ineffective. In most cases, it is not possible to do this in schools, “said A. Jurgelevičius.
And Milešin says it will be difficult for teachers to work without knowing exactly what specific criteria the government will use to make the decision to return to distance education.
“We wonder what the final decision on distance education will be. Because at least for now, there is a desire for both teachers and municipalities to make a common decision when it comes to distance education.
But so far no specific numbers or criteria have been established. But everyone doubts that it is not like in the spring, when they handed it over to the municipalities and decided that in one place a condition, in another, another ”, feared E. Milešinas.
Principals are considering how to talk to parents
At that time, according to D. Žvirdauskas, school leaders, before the new school year, feel in a good mood. However, some tensions persist.
“The challenge for each school leader is that each school has its own unique infrastructure. It doesn’t always come up immediately and very quickly to make decisions and implement 100 percent. operations manager decisions.
The agreements in the school community itself are also very important: what is the community’s attitude towards the tests ”, said D. Žvirdauskas.
The school principal is optimistic that 80 percent. Lithuanian teachers have already acquired immunity against COVID-19 and students over the age of 12 are also vaccinated. However, D. Žvirdauskas admits that the situation in the new school year will depend on many variables.
“It is very good that someone from SMSM said that we drive a car with the windshield covered and we see through the mirrors where we pass,” said the interlocutor.
D. Žvirdauskas hopes that after making the decision that distance education will be returned only as a last resort, the entire educational community will endeavor to ensure that the work is carried out in the form of contact for as long as possible.
“It depends very clearly on how we communicate, what is the cultural structure of the community itself. If the test is not mandatory, we can only speak softly, only in metaphors, only in motivation. I believe that the soft measures will gradually improve the statistics of those who want to be vaccinated and tested, ”said D. Žvirdauskas.
It is expected that although the epidemiological situation deteriorates, primary and secondary students will remain in the classrooms. Among other things, all immune and unvaccinated students are offered periodic testing, but this will not be required, but only recommended.
The tv3.lt portal has already written that the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport has prepared three scenarios of how students of all levels will be taught under the conditions of COVID-19.
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