Corfu teachers regarding increase in cases in schools
ELME
17 Nov 2021
/ 21:01
CORFU. ELME (Secondary School Teachers’ Union) and SEPE (Primary School Teachers’ Union) are calling teachers, parents and pupils for a protest demonstration on Monday 22 November at 13:30 at the Ionian Islands Regional Education Department.
Corfu ELME’s announcement:
Since September, the educational unions – ELME and SEPE – as well as the Parents Association had warned both the government and the Ministry of Education, as well as the local and regional authorities about the upcoming 4th wave of the pandemic and the – vital – need to take measures for the safe operation of schools, such as reducing the number of pupils per class, sufficient cleaning staff, recruitment of teachers, personal protective equipment for the pupils, teachers and cleaners, in order to ensure that schools can operate safely for everyone.
The government and the local authorities, not wanting to spend money on the operation of schools, put the blame on students and teachers and:
- They put a limit on the number of cleaning staff working in schools and, thus, there is not enough to keep the schools clean.
- They created less classes and, thus, put more students into small classrooms.
- They have taken no measures to reduce the number of pupils and meet the demands of teachers, pupils and parents to keep schools operating safely.
The result of all this is the quick increase in the number of cases, both nationwide and in Corfu. Specifically, in Corfu schools from 1 to 12 November, we have more than 80 cases, only in secondary schools, which are constantly increasing. And yet, not a single school has been closed. And the increase in the number of cases on the whole island is well known, making both schools and workplaces points of transmission of the virus.
And, as if all that were not enough, parents are being urged to dig deep into their pockets to get their children the necessary rapid tests, not only to send them to school, but also to see if they are well. Parents in the North and South Corfu Municipalities do not have the opportunity to conduct free rapid test and certainly do not have the opportunity to come every day at the Municipal Theatre, in order to do the necessary tests and, thus, are forced to pay for all the tests that their children and themselves do – tests, that the children, are OBLIGED to do, when there is a case in their class.
Enough! No more of this mockery! The government, the Ministry of Education and the Municipalities must take all necessary measures to ensure that schools do not become points of transmission of the virus.
We request:
- Tests in schools for teachers, pupils and all employees under the responsibility of EODY.
- Permanent EODY teams in North and South Corfu.
- Immediate staffing of the North and South Corfu Health Centres.
- Measures to have less pupils per class.
- Immediate recruitment of teachers, in order to fill all the existing vacancies.
- Special leave for all teachers belonging to vulnerable groups. Not a single day of regular leave should be withdrawn for the colleagues who have used or will use this special leave.
- That the Greek Primary Teachers’ Federation and the Federation of Secondary School Teachers (OLME) express an opinion regarding the situation in schools.
The ELME and SEPE Boards decided:
1. The holding of a joint press conference on the development of the pandemic on Thursday 18 November at 12:30pm at the Labour Centre
2. To call teachers, parents and pupils for a protest demonstration on Monday 22 November at 1:30pm at the Ionian Islands Regional Education Department, in order to demand, all together, measures for the safe operation of schools.
Since September, the educational unions – ELME and SEPE – as well as the Parents Association had warned both the government and the Ministry of Education, as well as the local and regional authorities about the upcoming 4th wave of the pandemic and the – vital – need to take measures for the safe operation of schools, such as reducing the number of pupils per class, sufficient cleaning staff, recruitment of teachers, personal protective equipment for the pupils, teachers and cleaners, in order to ensure that schools can operate safely for everyone.
The government and the local authorities, not wanting to spend money on the operation of schools, put the blame on students and teachers and:
- They put a limit on the number of cleaning staff working in schools and, thus, there is not enough to keep the schools clean.
- They created less classes and, thus, put more students into small classrooms.
- They have taken no measures to reduce the number of pupils and meet the demands of teachers, pupils and parents to keep schools operating safely.
The result of all this is the quick increase in the number of cases, both nationwide and in Corfu. Specifically, in Corfu schools from 1 to 12 November, we have more than 80 cases, only in secondary schools, which are constantly increasing. And yet, not a single school has been closed. And the increase in the number of cases on the whole island is well known, making both schools and workplaces points of transmission of the virus.
And, as if all that were not enough, parents are being urged to dig deep into their pockets to get their children the necessary rapid tests, not only to send them to school, but also to see if they are well. Parents in the North and South Corfu Municipalities do not have the opportunity to conduct free rapid test and certainly do not have the opportunity to come every day at the Municipal Theatre, in order to do the necessary tests and, thus, are forced to pay for all the tests that their children and themselves do – tests, that the children, are OBLIGED to do, when there is a case in their class.
Enough! No more of this mockery! The government, the Ministry of Education and the Municipalities must take all necessary measures to ensure that schools do not become points of transmission of the virus.
We request:
- Tests in schools for teachers, pupils and all employees under the responsibility of EODY.
- Permanent EODY teams in North and South Corfu.
- Immediate staffing of the North and South Corfu Health Centres.
- Measures to have less pupils per class.
- Immediate recruitment of teachers, in order to fill all the existing vacancies.
- Special leave for all teachers belonging to vulnerable groups. Not a single day of regular leave should be withdrawn for the colleagues who have used or will use this special leave.
- That the Greek Primary Teachers’ Federation and the Federation of Secondary School Teachers (OLME) express an opinion regarding the situation in schools.
The ELME and SEPE Boards decided:
1. The holding of a joint press conference on the development of the pandemic on Thursday 18 November at 12:30pm at the Labour Centre
2. To call teachers, parents and pupils for a protest demonstration on Monday 22 November at 1:30pm at the Ionian Islands Regional Education Department, in order to demand, all together, measures for the safe operation of schools.
