Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1276949
8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 AUGUST 2020 NEWS PAUL COCKS AND LAURA CALLEJA TEACHERS and their unions are adamant that schools do not re-open if new and active COV- ID-19 cases reach higher levels by 28 September, MaltaToday has learnt. A spokesperson for the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) told this newspaper that if the sit- uation remains unchanged, it could not see it plausible to re- open schools. "If today were the end of Sep- tember, with the current num- ber of cases and reproduction number exceeding 1, I could not see it as a plausible scenario to open schools," the union said. While the government has so far showed its intention to re-open schools, the education ministry has already drawn up and published contingen- cy plans to cater for any pos- sible scenario. These include schools opening, as usual, but also schools shutting down and a hybrid system that includes halving the number of students in each class to guarantee social distancing. But the provisions have been met with derision by teachers who insist that the department is not taking their health and safety seriously, and that the lack of clear communication by the department is only making matters worse. Joanna Mallia, a Zabbar pri- mary school teacher, told Malt- aToday that if cases were to be as high at the end of September as they are today, schools should definitely remain closed. "No way should anyone even consid- er opening schools in such a sce- nario and teachers will definite- ly not want to turn up for work with so many cases of coronavi- rus," she said. "Do not get me wrong, teach- ers are the first to insist that children should return to school and that children are better served attending schools, rath- er than having online schooling from home, but people must al- so understand how high the risk of infection is for teachers and students." Teachers are in constant con- tact with children all day long and it would take just one pos- itive COVID-19 case for the vi- rus to quickly spread to other children, families, and staff. Even parents who spoke to MaltaToday, gave mixed re- actions: some are extremely concerned for their children's education, while others remain unconvinced that social dis- tancing measures could be put into place in an effective enough manner. A mother who wished to re- main anonymous told Malta- Today that no matter what the situation looks like in Septem- ber, she was sending both her children aged 13 and 16 back to school physically. "As far as I'm concerned, come what may, I will be sending my kids back to school because their education is my priority. My 13-year-old struggled with online schooling. She needs the social interac- tion," she said. In her case, she felt that the church school she was sending her younger daughter to was not able to provide a suitable work environment. "Their system failed her, to the point where we had to pull her out and send her to a private school, which obviously will be a financial burden on us. But they had a more comprehensive online school plan and gave us reassurances that they will be putting policies in place to safe- guard children when they reo- pen physically, such as classes with fewer numbers." She was adamant that her chil- dren's education was the prior- ity. "At the end of the day, we have very few cases of COVID where people have had to be hospitalised so I don't fear the virus. Yes, we need to be careful; but we also need to adjust to the new normal. I can't put my chil- dren's education on hold. Doing so would have serious long-term ramifications." Another parent, Grace Vel- la, said she had mixed feelings about schools reopening. "I want both my children to return to normality but my younger son is seriously asthmatic and I am terribly concerned about this." She highlighted her privileged position because her husband worked from home and was able to help their son with home- work – however, Vella said that many of her friends were not in this same position. "I truly sym- pathise with these families and understand there isn't a clear cut solution." She added that if schools where to go online, a clearer strategy was needed which included live interaction with students. Another parent, Diandra Lan- zon, said she would not be send- ing her son to school – who is still in the second year of kinder- garten – having little faith the situation would have improved by September. "The health of my child and my family is my num- ber one priority. How are they going to convince such young children to social distance? It won't work," she said. Mallia echoed those concerns, asking how teachers were meant to remain safe. "Who do people think is the person who handles children's homework, assign- ment, drawings? Who opens a child's lunch bottle? Does any- one really expect us to hide be- hind some plastic and leave chil- dren to fend for themselves?" Marilyn Agius, a Learning Sup- port Educator at a government school, agreed. As an LSE she is in even closer contact to stu- dents and potentially at greater risk. "I love my job and cannot Are you a parent who cannot afford to have their child stay at home come September? If COVID-19 cases keep on increasing, a veritable revolution could be on the cards for the Maltese government once working parents are forced to stay behind at home with children unable to return to school. But parents, teachers, and their union, are clear that without any climbdown in cases, schools could remain closed for the foreseeable future Malta's next big COVID headache: "If today were the end of September, with the current number of cases and reproduction number exceeding 1, I could not see it as a plausible scenario to open schools" Malta Union of Teachers "No way should anyone even consider opening schools in such a scenario and teachers will definitely not want to turn up for work with so many cases of coronavirus" Joanna Mallia, primary school teacher