/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/eluniverso/56O2DLU64BBVHLZUV3YWOVP43M.jpg "Vaccination against COVID-19 is not mandatory for returning to school, but authorities urge inoculation, since the pandemic is not over | Community | Guayaquil")
When she went to enroll her daughter in a private educational unit in the north of Guayaquil, María had to fill out a form, by way of updating the student’s data, in which she put, among other things, the names of the student, the home address, contacts, blood type, if you suffer from allergies, if you had COVID-19 and if you received any doses of the coronavirus vaccine.
That caused him concern, because since last year the provision of the Ministry of Education has been that for the return to face-to-face classes in Ecuador the coronavirus vaccine is not mandatory.
Private campuses will be able to start classes on the Coast on April 22; prosecutors, from May 6
And that remains, there is no change in that guideline, said this Tuesday, April 19, Yecenia Limón, Undersecretary of Education of Zone 8 (Guayaquil, Durán and Samborondón), at a request from this newspaper. But inoculation is recommended, since the pandemic is not over yet.
“Vaccination currently remains voluntary, as already determined by the initial guidelines. However, we do recommend that, for all biosecurity measures, our students, [cuyos] daddies voluntarily require [hacerlos] access the vaccine, they can do so freely and voluntarily,” said the official.
María’s concern was shared by other parents from private schools, who were also asked if the students had had COVID-19 and if they had agreed to vaccination.
Currently, in the tax education system of the Costa-Galapagos 2022-2023 regime, the online registration process is carried out, through the website juntos.educacion.gob.ec. This will continue until Sunday, April 24.
At the time of registration on the website, it is not requested to detail whether the student has the doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, nor how many they have received.
As of April 17, according to the vaccinometer of the Ministry of Public Health (MSP), there were 3,678,514 vaccinated between 5 and 17 years old with the first dose (81.61%), out of a total of 4,347,643 inhabitants throughout the country. in that age range.
Of those 3,678,514 minors, only 3,196,304 people have applied the second dose, that is, 482,210 would be missing because they had at least two doses. This means that 73.52% of children in that age range (seven out of ten) have both doses.
In Guayas there are at least 1,045,167 inhabitants aged 5 to 17 years, of which 847,393 (81.08%) have at least one dose; and of them, only 691,062 have up to the second vaccination, which means that, of every ten minors initially vaccinated, two of them lack a second inoculation.
With this scenario, face-to-face classes in the Costa-Galapagos regime will officially begin next May 6 in a staggered manner (by levels). However, from this Friday, April 22, private and fiscomisional educational institutions that have the current operating authorization and their validated cost resolution will be able to start their school activities.
“Private, fiscomisional and municipal educational institutions must not deliver and/or register their schedules in the educational districts; however, they must publish it in their facilities and share it with their students, teachers and families; guaranteeing compliance with current regulations,” said the Undersecretary of Education of Zone 8.
Schedule of the return to the classrooms
The first to return to the classroom on May 6 will be the high school students (first, second and third). Likewise, those of initial 2 (groups of 3 and 4 years).
On May 9, the turn will correspond to the students of the upper basic general education (eighth, ninth and tenth), plus those of high school (first grade).
The next day the school year will begin for middle level students (fifth, sixth and seventh grade) and elementary students (second, third and fourth grade). (I)
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