Families have the last word for the return to face-to-face education in a pandemic

Having a downward trend in the third epidemiological week within the Covid-19 pandemic that affects Ecuador, the National Emergency Operations Committee (COE) approved new measures, among them, a greater face-to-face opening of the national education system from next Monday.

Education Minister María Brown explained that today in the plenary session of the National COE received Claudia Tobar, specialist in education, who presented on behalf of several groups a statement of reasons to request a change in the measures adopted by that instance in reference to education.

For Brown, what was presented were the same reasons and technical justifications raised on previous occasions by the Ministry of Education itself and that today were taken into consideration for the resolution approving a greater face-to-face opening of the Ecuadorian educational system.

The COE announced voluntary attendance in classrooms from this Monday and more capacity in workplaces

The groups asked not to close schools as a control mechanism to reduce infections. Among the arguments put forward, it was indicated that reopening educational facilities would not represent a considerable risk within the pandemic if the necessary biosecurity and self-care measures are taken.

In a letter from these groups read at the plenary session of the National COE, it is argued that the reopening of schools represents an important step towards economic recovery and would avoid delving into problems such as teenage pregnancies, child suicide, child abuse, school dropout, overweight and child malnutrition, school backwardness, …

Given information that there is a downward trend in Ecuador, which will continue in the coming weeks, arguments from the Ministry of Education and social groups, the National COE, according to the color of the traffic light in each canton of the country, approved a greater face-to-face opening of the national education system, clarifying that face-to-face education is voluntary, this means that families have the last word on what will happen in face-to-face education.

According to the Ministry of Health, based on a Covid index by canton which has four measurable variables, in the country there are 29 cantons at a low risk level or green color, 171 cantons are at a medium risk or yellow color, and 13 cantons with high risk level or red color.

According to Brown, the institutions that can work under the established capacity conditions (75% for cantons in green; 50% capacity for cantons in yellow; and 30% for cantons in red) they will be able to use the facilities in person, respecting not only the capacity, but the biosecurity measures. If there is a contagion in a teacher or student, the educational institution should not be attended in person, keeping the biosecurity protocols.

It was clarified that the educational continuity plans must be approved so that the institutions can work.

Technical high schools, single-teacher educational institutions, teachers and multi-teachers, institutes, rural educational institutions, who have the greatest difficulty in continuing with distance education, green traffic light measures contemplate voluntary face-to-face assistance depending on of the capacity and depending on the area they have.

Attendance at these institutions, in the cantons that are in yellow, will also be voluntary with the capacity calculated at 2.25 m2 per person. For Brown, this area allows for a distance of 1.5 m between each of the people inside the classroom and he also said that so that all those who have authorization can attend, students can be divided into groups or differentiated schedules.

Institutions of this type that are in areas with a red traffic light will also have voluntary attendance with a maximum capacity of 2.25 m2 per person in all grades, with the difference that in these cases the educational institution may select some courses or degrees for attend in person.

In baccalaureate education, unified general baccalaureate in sciences that have high school students from 5 years old up to third year of high school and urban educational institutions located in green cantons, voluntary face-to-face attendance will be carried out with the capacity of 2.25 m2 per person at all levels. Students may be divided into groups or differentiated schedules.

The mandatory return to classrooms with full capacity generates concern in rural educational entities in Quito

Assistance in yellow cantons for this type of educational establishment must be given respecting the 2.25 m2 and with the same considerations as those who are at a green traffic light; while for the institutions that are at a red light, they must attend depending on the capacity and the approved plan and the educational institution may select some degrees and courses that attend in person in agreement with the families, in the case of needing to reduce the number of students that attend in each of these groups.

For initial education that is regulated by the Ministry of Education, Child Development Centers as well as the initial education levels of children aged 3 and 4 at the green traffic light, attendance will respect the capacity of 2.25 m2 per person, and can also be divided into groups, as at the yellow traffic light.

On the other hand, at the red light, voluntary face-to-face attendance must respect 50% of the capacity maximum calculated on the installed physical capacity of the educational institution and can also establish differentiated schedules.

“We have ensured that as soon as the epidemiological data has been presented and processed by the Ministry of Health, we can announce it to the public so that they can have time to prepare and we hope that little by little the cantons that are in red become yellow and those in yellow to green and what soon we will reach a normal situation where education can return to 100% of capacity”, concluded Brown. (I)