The president of the Central Board of Directors (Codicen), Robert Silva, pointed out this Sunday that the education authorities are evaluating making the health protocols established prior to the start of classes more flexible.
Silva’s intention is to evaluate the evolution of covid-19 and based on that make a decision. “We know that there is a possibility that the first recommendations that we had have some modification,” he told Telemundo.
The start of classes, scheduled for March 7 and 8, will mark a strong commitment to face-to-face attendance, he assured: “The objectives are clear: address the learning effects that have occurred, continue with tutorials, teacher training and a strong commitment to face-to-face attendance”.
What date do classes start and end?
The classrooms will be filled again next March 7th at the Initial and Primary levels. That same Monday, he will also enter the first year of basic cycle, and fourth year of high school, as well as the first years of UTU at the middle and higher education level. At night, the night students will resume the school year.
On Tuesday 8, the second and third year of the basic cycle will be reinstated, as well as the fifth and sixth year of high school and the remaining levels of UTU. The exception is for the night high school, which will start its activities a week later.
The school calendar is expected to last until December 16 for Initial and Primary, while the basic day cycle will end on December 9. The high school levels, together with the basic night cycle, will close the year on December 2. In the case of UTU, the year will end on December 3 at the higher education levels, and on December 10 at the basic secondary education levels.
What are the health protocols?
The return to classrooms will take place with new protocols that make health requirements more flexible.
Although many measures are maintained (hand hygiene, the use of masks, restricted access to institutions, ventilation of spaces), the ANEP recently approved a new series of recommendations, which establishes that only classrooms will be isolated in in case there are at least two covid-19 infections in the same class. In that case, “an antigen test and quarantine will be carried out immediately on classroom contacts.” Those who test positive must isolate themselves for seven days if they are vaccinated or ten days if they do not have the complete schedule.
yesIf the antigen test is negative, a PCR test will be required after five days. If the test is negative, the disease is ruled out. If it is positive, the same isolation criteria are required as in the case of having given a positive antigen test.
This definition is not exempt from criticism by some actors in education. One of the questions is that the isolation guideline discriminates between vaccinated and unvaccinated, despite the fact that the vaccination commission had expressly said that no distinctions should be made in minors.
When two or more cases arise in the same institution but in separate classrooms, it will not be considered an outbreak and therefore the institution will not be closed.
School canteens will function as in the pre-pandemic with full classrooms at the same time. All these measures, however, are not definitive, but are likely to undergo modifications. In fact, ANEP is waiting for the measures to become much more flexible depending on the health situation, according to Juan Gabito, a counselor representing the ruling party.
