FHI believes that closing schools has little contagious effect. In addition, they will protect children from intrusive measures.
–
While Denmark closes schools and kindergartens in the days before Christmas – to slow the spread of infection, there are many indications that the Norwegian health authorities are more reluctant to do so.
– We have reviewed all the measures that are now in place, and made an assessment of where it will be appropriate to make adjustments. And the basis for our recommendations is the strategy where it is emphasized that it is a goal to protect children and young people. We consider closing schools to be a measure that, from experience, may not have such a large effect on the spread of infection. We have experience that infection rates go up after the holidays, so it may not be the most effective thing we do, says department director Line Vold in FHI to VG.
The traffic light model has always been possible to use as a local measure, while the measures that have now been considered are national measures.
A source who attended a meeting between the Minister of Health, NIPH, the Norwegian Directorate of Health, the state administrators and the municipalities on Monday morning also says that the new, strict measures should continue to be directed at adults as much as possible.
When asked directly whether home schooling is considered, the source answers that it is still communicated that children and young people should be spared as much as possible.
However, many see this as difficult. Many municipalities struggle to keep schools running due to high student infections and high sickness absence from employees.
–No later than Monday, it became known that Smestad school in Oslo will close from Tuesday due to the infection situation.
VG is also aware that at a single school in Viken, more than 30 teachers were away due to sick leave on Monday morning.
It was also communicated at the meeting this morning that work will be done on which specific measures will be implemented, beyond the Monday until the press conference which is announced until 8 pm on Monday evening.
A possible measure against schools and kindergartens is a national introduction of the traffic light model, after the municipality from last week – could decide for itself whether this should be introduced.
– On the other hand, we have quite good experience with the traffic light models, Line Vold.
The traffic light model has always been possible to use as a local measure, while the measures that have now been considered are national measures.
–In an FHI press release early Monday, the department writes that high sickness absence will affect many sectors in the future. – The health service and other sectors must review their continuity plans, writes FHI.
Deputy leader Terje Skyvulstad in the Education Association reports on a critical infection situation in many schools and kindergartens.
– There is a crisis in many schools now. There is a sky-high sickness absence. Many schools and kindergartens have to reduce their activity considerably. Now we must do what we can to reduce the accelerating development of infection, he says to VG.
– Your view on home school or previous Christmas holidays now?
– We must rely on health authorities and infection control expertise. Now it is important that politicians take the infection control crisis seriously. As is well known, we are in favor of school and daycare staff being given priority for a third dose of vaccine, as a concrete measure. It is important to create more security among those who run the schools and kindergartens. We see that in many places it is also absolutely necessary with shorter school days and reduced opening hours in kindergartens, Skyvulstad answers.
– In light of the increased spread of infection among children and young people: Have the measures been too kind?
– I trust that the infection control and health authorities follow the development and follow up with measures. But it is not to be overlooked that many teachers, kindergarten teachers and employees in our sector, are insecure and dread going to work. The health authorities must take the consequences of this and follow up, demands the deputy leader of the Education Association, which organizes around 180,000 teachers, kindergarten teachers and school leaders.
The union, which is the second largest union for employees in kindergartens, after-school clubs and schools, wants stricter measures to curb the infection.
In a survey among the members who work in the upbringing sector, four out of five respondents answer that they want stricter measures.
56 percent of those who responded wanted a yellow level introduced in their workplace.
22 percent wanted a red level, which is the strictest level of action in the traffic light model – with smaller cohorts and partial digital teaching for the oldest students (grades 5-7 and up).
In addition, many of the employees are afraid of being infected with corona, and afraid of taking the infection home, the survey shows with responses from almost 2,000 employees in kindergartens, after-school clubs and schools.
–
