Fenprof – National Federation of Teachers announced, this Friday, that it will present the current situation of the preparation of the next school year to the Assembly of the Republic, of international organizations and, if necessary, will appeal to the courts.
Considering that the Ministry of Education (ME) and the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) continue to devalue concerns and ignore requests for meetings, the governing bodies of the federation will meet in early September to decide the approach to the beginning of classes , “If they continue to guarantee adequate conditions for health prevention and safety and teachers from risk groups are not adequately protected,” he explains in a statement.
“Unfortunately, the Director-General of Health and those responsible for the Ministry of Health continue to avoid meeting to discuss and, necessarily, review some of the guidelines on health security measures sent to schools last July. This, together with the refusal of solutions sought by schools, such as the double regime for the 1st Cycle of Basic Education, in this case because it would require the greatest expense in the organization of a social response, with safe activities of occupation of free time in the other part of the day ”, details the organization.
Fenprof has insisted on the need to perform a screening prior to Covid-19, involving the entire school population and to guarantee physical distance in the classroom, which requires the formation of small groups of students, as recommended by the DGS.
The federation also defends the revision of the age from which the use of a mask, in an enclosed space, is mandatory (a position sustained in the studies that have been carried out and account for the infectious levels that can reach children) and the definition of protection of teachers who are part of the risk group, but also of students and non-teaching workers.
“However, DGS and ME have chosen not to respond to the insistent meeting requests presented, with some government officials limiting themselves from time to time to say that schools are not a place of contagion and that the measures envisaged are sufficient to guarantee the return to face-to-face education ”, he reinforces.
Since the beginning of July, Fenprof has been trying to meet with DGS and ME officials, regarding the health security conditions foreseen for the functioning of schools, but without success, despite the fact that the Assistant Secretary of State and Education has taken over, on June 24, a new meeting on this matter would be scheduled, and a month later (July 24), DGS informed that it would schedule a meeting.
The federation also notes that it insisted today (for the seventh time), with the DGS and the ME, for the intended meetings to be held.
“If it is confirmed that these entities refuse to dialogue, the concerns of teachers and educators will be exposed, next week, to all parliamentary groups, who will be asked to take the initiative to ensure what the government has not guaranteed”, he says the federation.
At the international level, with WHO, ILO, UNESCO, International Education and OECD, he will express his concerns and “will denounce the government’s stance that is contrary to the public health interest and sincerely violates the principles of social dialogue, interest and principles defended by those organizations ”, concludes the federation.
“If justified, he will go to court, if the insufficiency of the measures taken is at the origin of problems that jeopardize the health and life of teachers”, he concludes.
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