The Madeira Teachers Union believes that students should also be assessed

In reaction to the decision taken this Sunday by the Regional Government, the Madeira Teachers Union says it agrees with the progressive return to schools in Funchal, Ribeira Brava and Câmara de Lobos, but points out that the Executive’s statement “is very laconic “, since which presents” incongruity of staying only for the test of teachers and assistants and not for the students “.

“Looking at today’s announcement from the Regional Government, we can only see the intention to test the 6,000 teachers and educational assistants in the schools of the three municipalities. Now, we are talking about a fifth of the school community. Nothing in this statement guarantees that this test will be effective for the entire school community ”, says JM Francisco Oliveira, president of the Madeira Teachers Union.

The doubts arise since, three days ago, Miguel Albuquerque, president of the Regional Government, had announced that the school’s students would also be evaluated upon their return to school. However, this Sunday’s statement issued by the Provincial Council only contains tests for teachers and assistants.
The coordinator also says that the total number of teachers and assistants in the Autonomous Region of Madeira represents only a fifth of the school community, so he considers that the student body should also be evaluated when returning to school.
“We are talking, according to 2019 statistics, of just over 10,000 professionals (about 4,000 assistants and 6,000 teachers). In this sense, we are leaving out more than 42 thousand students “, points out Francisco Oliveira, warning that after this period of Christmas and the end of the year, marked by gatherings, there will be a” great probability “that the infected students circulate through the schools. be asymptomatic and spread the virus.
It is recalled that at the end of this morning the Regional Government decided that in the municipalities with the highest incidence of cases -Funchal, Câmara de Lobos and Ribeira Brava- the opening of classes is progressive, so that the health authorities can carry out an evaluation concentrated. and dedicated to the situation.
In these municipalities, as the tests are carried out, educational establishments will be opened. The other educational and teaching establishments, in the other municipalities, open at the defined time, that is, on January 4, 2021.
The test teams will begin their work on the morning of Monday, January 4, in the three identified municipalities, with the aim of monitoring the more than 6,000 teachers and educational assistants.