'Schools are too crowded for reopening, new ones should be built urgently'

Click to read the article in Turkish

The uncertainty about when the new school year will begin continues.

Cengiz Mete, General Director of Secondary Education of the Ministry of National Education, told the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) on 3 July that the 2020-2021 school year will begin on August 31.

Minister Ziya Selçuk said on July 9 that "We could easily say that whether schools will open on that day or not but it's not right to expect that from us today."

Selçuk also said during a TV program on July 23 that "We are preparing for that [opening schools on August 31] and we are ready for that. It's very clear. Of course, a total restriction for schools won't be in question while the normalization is talked about everywhere, cinemas, downtown, markets, streets, sports, arts, etc."

So when and under which conditions should schools be opened? What do parents, public health professionals and unions think about this?

Eğitim-Sen teachers' union chair Feray Aytekin, Turkish Medical Association (TTB) Public Health Branch Chair Prof. Nilay Etiler and Velider student parents' association Branch No. 1 Chair Ömer Yılmaz have spoken to bianet.

Aytekin: The priority must be public health

Noting that the process of opening schools should be planets not according to political or economic reasons but to scientific data, Feray Aytekin said, "The right to health of our students, education and science workers should be taken as the basis. Measures to be taken regarding students' right to education and health should be evaluated in integrity. Schools should only be opened in conditions where the outbreak can be controlled and does not cause any health risks at schools.

Pointing out the socioeconomic inequalities, Aytekin listed her suggestions:

"There are deep differences even between the schools in different districts of a city. What the Ministry of National Education and the government urgently need to do is to announce an additional budget. Public resources are the resources of the people. They should be used for our students, for laborers of education and science.

"Teacher appointments should be made, appointments of cleaning staff and health workers should be made, adequate cleaning materials, disinfectants and protective materials should be provided for all schools. Providing all these needs is possible only with an additional budget.

"The process of the opening of schools should be run together with education unions, healthcare organizations, and parents' organizations. Laborers of education and science should be included in the decision making processes."

"The number of schools should be increased"

"The number of schools, types of schools and the number of classrooms are inadequate. In the current reality, the statements about personal distance that say there will be one student per four square meters don't make sense.

"All processes regarding the time the students will spend at schools, the duration of lessons, breaks, the content of classes, etc., should be run with education unions and teachers.

"In case the outbreak and its spread continue, distance education should be seen as a complementary element of education, there shouldn't be a process or perception that equalizes it with face-to-face education. All disadvantaged groups should be supported. In terms of poor students' access to distance education, all their needs should be met."

Etiler: Children may have difficulties maintaining hand hygiene

Prof. Etiler said that the reopening of schools should be decided according to the course of the outbreak.

"Epidemiological measurements should be looked at as to whether the outbreak has been taken under control, there must be data that it is not spreading.

"The reason for the ambivalent statements and indecision of the Minister of Education, Ziya Selçuk about when the schools will be opened might be that the outbreak is not under control. There may be a fast outbreak.

"In addition, children may have difficulties maintaining hand hygiene, social distance and respiratory hygiene, they may not be able to control this because they are children. This situation poses huge risks."

"Schools are very crowded"

"Our schools are very crowded. The Minister of Health had said there would be one student per four square meters in schools. Maybe an alternating education can be carried out with the current number of students. Families may find it difficult to obtain masks and disinfectants, the Ministry must provide this. Very good training should be given to children, families and teachers.

The children recover from the disease without symptoms, but if there are people over 65 at home, they will be at risk. We can't either say that the schools shouldn't open, it would be to prevent children's right to education. But everything needs to be considered, in all circumstances, we are talking about the mobilization of one-fourth of Turkey's population. The pandemic is not short-term, we do not seem to get over it in a short time. So a very good organization is needed to open schools under the new normal conditions. "

"Public resources need to be used. With good measures, cooperation with local governments should take place in each province's pandemic boards. In provinces such as İstanbul, Gaziantep, Ankara, Şırnak, and Şanlıurfa, where the number of students is high, provincial pandemic boards can take measures accordingly, and new plans can be made."

Yılmaz: Uncertainty creates anxiety

Noting that Minister Selçuk has announced different dates and there was also uncertainty about the dates of the university and high school entrance exams, Yılmaz said, "With the changes made, they caused great concern among the students and us, the parents."

He also said that it was also impossible to divide classes into two with a morning-afternoon system as most schools already have that system.

"Have teacher appointments been made? How will children maintain physical distance? Parents are very anxious," he said. (RT/VK)