The Ministry of National Education reported that, as of this Monday, April 10, around 1,247 students from 54 educational centers will take virtual classes in the areas of the department of Tolima, Caldas and Manizalesbefore the orange alert of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano.
According to the ministry, new guidelines have been issued for basic and secondary educational establishments, higher education institutions and Education secretariats in these areas, in order to have flexible modalities of study that protect the lives of students.
“In coordination with the local authorities, different Strategies to give continuity to educational activities and guarantee the supply of school meals“, mentioned the Minister of Education, Aurora Vergara Figueroa.
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Likewise, he explained that in relation to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), the Ministry is providing guidelines for Comprehensive Risk Management through its website, making a call to give priority to the welfare and care of the community.
“We invite Higher Education Institutions to adopt the necessary measures to make available the educational modalities mediated by the new information technologies and communications to give continuity to the training, research and extension processes,” he said.
According to the ministry, establishments located in high-risk areas must adopt a work-at-home modality or temporary shelters in safe and secure areas. report the diagnosis of affectations to the Departmental and Municipal Councils for Risk Management.
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The minister concluded: “those activities that require the presence of students, teachers, tutors and instructors, but that due to the measures adopted to mitigate the risk cannot be carried outthey must be rescheduled within the academic calendar”.
As it is a contingency situation, the measures adopted by the HEIs must not have the prior authorization of the Ministry of Education. However, It was requested to previously inform the Quality Department of the entity in order to be able to follow up on them.
