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Addressing a Parliamentary question to the Ministry of National Education, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Van MP Muazzez Orhan has noted that schools should not be reopened without taking the necessary measures against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Referring to the figures announced by the Ministry of Health on August 23, Orhan has raised concerns that the number of cases neared 260 thousand. Emphasizing that the number of fatalities is increasing day by day, she has said:
"In this process when several workers, especially health workers, keep working at risk, it will further increase the risk if one million education personnel and millions of students go out at the same time for face-to-face education."
Orhan has also referred to a recent report released by the Education and Science Laborers' Union (Eğitim-Sen). According to this report entitled "The Current State of Outbreak and Condition of Education Institutions," the measures to be taken before the schools reopen concern not only 18 million students, but the right to health and life of all citizens.
Against this backdrop, Orhan has expressed her concerns as follows:
"The restart of face-to-face education without taking necessary measures will threaten the right to life of millions of people. Face-to-face education must not be restarted without necessary measures to protect millions of students from pandemic in school busses, gardens and buildings."
Within this context, she has specifically focused on boarding schools and dining halls where thousands of students and teachers have to use shared spaces. She has warned that "coronavirus measures need to be taken before the schools reopen so that lives will not be put at risk."
Accordingly, Muazzez Orhan has briefly asked the following questions:
(AÖ/SD)