President Irfaan Ali says that schools will not be shut even though the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) has called for a closure due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in the schools.
Speaking at a press briefing yesterday, Ali said that schools will not be closed although there has been a surge in COVID-19 cases in the country. According to the president, testing and precautions are being taken in the schools to stem the transmission.
“In terms of school we have seen all the cases so far and 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.” The Ministry of Education is acting in tandem with the President’s statement on schools remaining open.
Most students returned to face-to-face instruction on Monday. The Education Ministry had said that the schools will have students wear masks during classes, and a strict hand washing protocol and sanitization will be instituted. In addition, the seating of students has to follow social distancing recommendations. However, there has been a rise of cases among students and teachers since the reopening of schools. This has led the GTU to demand that all schools close while the health ministry assesses the situation.
The GTU further stated, “COVID-19 positive cases have risen exponentially over these last three days in Guyana, especially with the reopening of schools for face-to-face engagement. The Ministry of Education ignored their own (government) Gazette order for social distancing (6 feet apart) and large gatherings, which were recently issued for January 2022”. The union also expressed concern about the number of schools that reported positive cases for both teachers and students.
“The numbers continue to climb in every education district in Guyana. The union’s datasheet shows that 65 teachers, 44 learners have reportedly tested positive in two days of school.” In addition, it informed, 15 schools had to close due to the cases that were recorded at the schools.
“The GTU demands that ALL schools be closed immediately so that the Ministry of Health can conduct a proper assessment before advising on the way forward. We are aware of the challenges presented by online learning and that reopening schools for face-to-face is our preferred option, but let us be mindful that we need a healthy nation to progress. The rate at which persons are getting sick due to COVID-19 infections has to be addressed now,” the union declared.
