Nearly two-thirds out of the over 3 million students
\nand pre-schoolers in Romania are returning to schools on Monday, after a 2-week
\nbreak triggered by the COVID 19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Face-to-face teaching is resumed in schools where at
\nleast 60% of the employees are vaccinated against the virus, while the other
\nschools carry on classes online. The Students’ Council says schools are not
\nready to resume on-site classes, and call on the authorities to also take into
\naccount the local infection rates, the healthcare infrastructure, the testing
\ncapacity and the means to ensure physical distancing. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The coordinator of Romania’s vaccination campaign, Valeriu
\nGheorghi\u0163\u0103, admits that the measure would prompt a rise in infection risks, but
\nargues that children need face-to-face classes and adults should make an effort
\nto ensure that children are safe in schools.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Valeriu Gheorghi\u0163\u0103: I believe it is a duty for us, for the adults, to
\nmake sure our kids are safe in schools. How can we do that? By complying with
\nhealth and hygiene rules, by explaining these rules to the kids, by getting the
\nvaccine. I believe this is the way for us to gradually become able to control
\nand contain the effects and consequences of this pandemic. Yes, resuming
\non-site classes definitely entails additional risks in terms of the number of
\ninfection cases, but what we must keep in mind is a balance between the
\nepidemiological status and the benefits and losses for our children during this
\nperiod.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
In turn, the interim education minister Sorin C\u00eempeanu
\nsays that although controversial, the new conditions for reopening schools have
\nbeen effective and encouraged teaching staff to get the vaccine:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Sorin C\u00eempeanu: The reports for Friday, 29th October, indicated
\nthat 54% of public and private schools had a vaccination rate of over 60% and
\nmay resume face-to-face classes. By Friday, 5th November when we
\nupdated all data for all the schools in Romania, there was an increase from 54%
\nto 68%, so the measure worked. Several inspection teams from the Education
\nMinistry will conduct on-site checks to see the extent to which protection
\nrules are implemented, and also to check the accuracy of the reported
\nvaccination rates. This is a compromise solution, it has its flaws, but at the
\nend of the day this criterion ensures a safer environment for students and
\nteachers, it protects teachers the most, because according to physicians vaccinated
\npeople don’t get infected and don’t pass on the virus as easily as the non-vaccinated.
\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
To make up for the lost time during this school break,
\nthe Education Ministry amended the structure of this school year and shortened
\nthe winter holiday for middle schools and high schools. (tr. A.M. Popescu)<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Nearly 70% of the undergraduate schools in Romania are reopening<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107,"featured_media":86545,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37738],"tags":[29948,29951,35417,35984,35673,32402],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-90273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-today-in-the-news","tag-children","tag-infection","tag-measures","tag-reopening","tag-schools","tag-vaccine"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n