* Photo: Ruken Tuncel - bianet (archive)
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As schools are gradually returning to face-to-face education amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the number of schools with infected personnel and students is increasing as well.
According to the data shared by the Education and Science Laborers' Union (Eğitim-Sen), the number of education institutions with COVID-19 cases has hit 1,220 as of 1 p.m. today (November 16). Moreover, 16 education workers have so far lost their lives due to the virus, 14 have died since September, when face-to-face education restarted.
Eğitim-Sen Chair Feray Aytekin 
Doğan has announced that teacher Cengiz Tekdal, who was working in the Diyarbakır Kayapınar Ahmed-i Hani High School, has lost his life due to the novel coronavirus.
Speaking to bianet about the issue, Aytekin Doğan has raised concerns that 70 to 80 students are COVID-positive in almost every school across the country, underlining that this number is increasing everyday.
Noting that the pandemic measures taken in schools fall short of protecting the students and the personnel from the virus, Aytekin Doğan has said:
"While we are talking about face-to-face education, we are talking about a population of 30 million people. This situation cannot be handled by saying that schools are safe, we are losing our friends. The Minister should announce the difference between the pre-pandemic period and now. It was said that the class size would not exceed 15, but it has. There are no measures in common use areas. [The needs for] masks and disinfectants are not met. Measures are observed in an uncontrolled manner."
'Listen to TTB's call for lockdown'
Aytekin Doğan has also referred to the increasing calls for lockdown amid the increasing number of cases and fatalities in Turkey:
"Minister of National Education Ziya Selçuk says that schools are safer than bazaars. This is an unscientific statement. Based on what data can he make such a statement? The outbreak is spreading more and more with each passing day. Face-to-face education is very important; in no way can it be compared to distance education. But education cannot be given by disregarding the health of students, teachers and the public.
"When face-to-face education started again, physical mobility should have been reduced. That was what the World Health Organization (WHO) and all scientists recommended; but no restrictions were imposed in Turkey out of economic considerations. The outbreak is spreading more and more everyday, but we clearly know neither the number of cases in general nor the number of cases in schools in particular.
"The Ministry of National Education must urgently announce the current situation in schools and carry out this process together with its all subjects.
"Moreover, the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) has been making calls for urgent lockdown. The data must be announced and the steps must be taken; otherwise, the situation in schools will reach a much more grave dimension." (RT/SD)
