Holding the entrance exam will lead to an ‘explosion’ of COVID-19, warns Dr. Savaş

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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1 million 879 thousand 705 students will take the High-School Entrance Exam (LGS) tomorrow (June 20). However, both the children and their parents are concerned that the exam will be held amid a recent surge in COVID-19 cases following a wide-scale reopening as of June 1.

As recommended by the Health Ministry's Science Board and announced by Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, wearing face masks is now mandatory in 50 provinces of Turkey, including such major cities as İstanbul and Ankara. There will also be a partial curfew on the day of the exam.

Amid all these concerns and measures, several students and parents keep calling on the authorities to postpone the exam. But can the exam be postponed now? Are the measures enough to protect the students? What risks might the exam pose? What are the alternatives?

Dr. Serdar Savaş and Education and Science Laborers' Union Secretary General for Education Özgür Bozdoğan comment for bianet.

Both Savaş and Bozdoğan say that it is possible to postpone the exam, noting that it is a necessity for the health of both children and the public.

'Exam can be postponed even today'

Dr. Serdar Savaş:

"No serious measures are being taken to curb the spread of the disease. It is a really very big mistake to hold the exam under these circumstances.

"It is very risky for three reasons: First, it is very risky for the psychology of children. A vast majority of these children who have just reached puberty are having a panic attack now. Holding the exam will have more adverse effects on their psychology even in the aftermath of the exam.

'Children are suffering a tragedy now'

"Secondly, it is a great risk for the children who have chronic illnesses. Thirdly, the children who will take the exam will bring the virus along with them to their homes and families. When students, their families and the people who will be on duty on that day are taken together, it will mean that around 5 or 6 million people will be outside across Turkey. It is something that will lead to an explosion of the disease and a public health problem.

"The exam can be postponed even on this very day, it can be held in September or October. It is an extremely ignorant and bad decision to hold it now. Children are suffering a tragedy now and the power holders have shut their eyes and conscience to this tragedy."

'Students should be placed without an exam'

Education and Science Laborers' Union (Eğitim-Sen) Secretary General for Education Özgür Bozdoğan:

"Over one and a half million students who will take the high-school entrance exam have been receiving distance education for months. In this process, hundreds of thousands of them had problems in accessing the Internet and other sources, even a TV where distance education is given.

"An exam to be held amid all these problems is against the principle of equality in education. First of all there is no equality.

"We do not approve that children will be loaded to classrooms for 20 in a period when the number of cases is surging. We defend the students' right to education and health together. Holding an exam under these conditions will mean that both of these rights will be violated.

'A hospital room is not a place to take an exam'

"Making a statement on June 18, Minister of National Education Ziya Selçuk spoke about the conditions where the students take the exam at hospitals or how the students tested positive for the virus will take it.

"Ziya Selçuk is not solely a minister, he is also an academic educated in pedagogy. He needs to know that a sick student who will take the exam at a hospital room will not get any efficiency; on the contrary, it will be harder for his or her health and exam. It is a very unfortunate statement. '

"We do not force anyone to take the exam,' he says, but he does not reserve the right of these children to take it.

'Recommendations of Science Board not heeded'

"Moreover, the Education Ministry's Directorate General for Private Education Institutions says that holding a pilot test even for purposes of preparation is not approved as per the decision of the Science Board. So, we infer that the board does not approve of holding these exams. In other words, the recommendations of the Science Board are not taken into account.

"We, as the Eğitim-Sen, recommend that this exam should be postponed and, taking this a step further, we also recommend that students should be placed in schools without an examination." (RT/SD)