Return to online classes and limit in-person teaching

Jan 07, 2022 Letters

Dear Editor,

Kaieteur News – I was disheartened after reading the following statement from President Ali on January 6, 2022 regarding the closure of schools given the critical surge of the COVID-19 omicron variant in Guyana. The President remarked, “In terms of school we have seen all the cases so far and in most countries, almost all the countries are saying we cannot close the schools. We cannot close the education system. They are keeping the schools open.” Surely the President understands that access to information is very easy for almost all Guyanese. Similarly, he knows how to manipulate words for the purpose of influencing public persuasion and actions. While many schools are remaining open, many have reduced in-person teaching for varying periods of time. Some for 21 days, 90 days and so forth. In Europe, some Governments are advising schools to remain closed and continue with online learning…
…When making such general statements that literally could result in the death, impairment and long-term care needs of children, teachers and relatives, the President should be cautioned to provide the data and to be precise. Schools’ remaining open does and should not mean the full measure of in-person teaching. I want to ask the President and other Cabinet members where their children attend school. Are they in private or public school and are they attending school full time in-person, online or a blended approach?
…Finally, could President Ali state what measures including financial support have been provided to schools and teachers to?
(i) support random and mandatory COVID-19 testing of teachers, administrators and students,
(ii) effective sanitation measures, adherence to social distancing guidelines in schools,
(iii) the protection of children using public transportation and taxis to attend school and (iv) safeguarding the exposure of children from food vendors who often ply their trade inside and outside the school compound? Addressing, scaling up and implementing these and similar concerns would go a long way in strengthening the confidence of parents, teachers and school administrators.
In closing, the Government through the Minister of Health is on record as promoting herd immunity through infections and vaccines. The theory goes that we can better develop stronger immune responses to COVID-19 through more infections and vaccines. The public should be aware that this policy is an underlying factor of the emphasis on keeping in-person schooling open at current rates. I would like to caution the Government by way of two statements made by the Israeli Senior Health Advisor,
“The price of herd immunity is very infectious, and that may end up happening. The numbers need to be high to reach herd immunity, it’s possible…But we don’t want to reach it through infections, we want it to happen as a result of many people vaccinated, he added.”

Regards,
C. Singh

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