Corfu teachers concerned about the increase of Covid-19 cases in schools
ELME
18 Nov 2021
/ 20:33
CORFU. More than 117 Covid-19 cases in 35 secondary schools since 1 November.
Both SEPE (Primary School Teachers’ Union) and ELME (Secondary School Teachers’ Union) warned about the increase in cases in Corfu schools at a press conference held in the afternoon at the Labour Centre.
The two unions are calling for immediate adoption of the necessary measures to protect everyone from the pandemic and are calling teachers, parents and pupils for a protest demonstration on Monday 22 November at 13:30 at the Ionian Islands Regional Education Department.
More than 117 cases
ELME teachers' union President Achilleas Kapetanios stressed that from 1 November to date there have been more than 117 cases in 35 secondary schools, while according to SEPE teachers' union President Antonis Koursaris, there was an increase in cases in primary schools in the last 15 days. “Right now, it is necessary to immediately take measures for social distancing and to limit infections in workplaces. Instead of putting less pupils in classrooms, the government is drawing up plans and is constantly making classes, classrooms or even entire school units smaller.
Instead of recruiting teachers, it leaves dozens of vacant positions in Corfu. This situation cannot continue. Measures should be taken immediately in order to avoid closing schools again,” said Mr. Koursaris. He went on to say that the government is working on a plan to merge schools in Corfu, while there are specific proposals based on the number of pupils attending.
However, he explained that SEPE does not know which schools are at risk of closure since September. According to him, the Regional Education Department has already sent to the Ministry of Education a file with the schools included.
‘50% plus one’ system
As Mr. Kapetanios pointed out, in Corfu there are classes with 25, 26 and 27 students and, therefore, they do not have the necessary distances, while often the money of the school Committees is not sufficient for the purchase of antiseptics. “Managing a pandemic has to do with what measures we take regarding public transport, workplaces and generally the places where people are crowded. And, of course, one of them is schools. In those classrooms, 25 to 27 students are squeezed in, and more would squeeze in if the two teachers' unions and the Parents Association had not fought to ensure that there were no mergers of classes and schools.
Even though they claim that no classes have closed, that is basically what has happened, because there are no safety protocols in place. The ‘50% plus one’ system just makes it look like schools are functioning normally,” said Mr. Kapetanios.
Testing
However, both union Presidents criticized the fact that pupils, mainly in North and South Corfu, cannot do free rapid tests in public health facilities that are either non-existent or understaffed, resulting in parents having to pay for them themselves. “It is an undeniable fact that the early detection of cases and patients with Covid-19 can stop the spread of the virus. That’s why we ask the state to financially cover the testing of all pupils and teachers – both vaccinated and unvaccinated,” said Mr. Koursaris.
Their demands
Both unions request the implementation of a scientifically based vaccination campaign, as well as free and repeated tests in schools conducted by EODY for all teachers and pupils.
Especially in North and South Corfu, there should be permanent EODY teams and staffing of the North and South Corfu Health Centres.
They are also calling for mass recruitment of teachers, as well as of all the necessary auxiliary and cleaning staff for schools, less pupils per class and more frequent public transport.
“The cleaning staff in schools is not enough in any of the three Municipalities. There are schools that have asked for additional staffing but they have not gotten any. Especially in North Corfu we have 18 cleaners for 29 schools,” concluded Mr. Kapetanios.
The two unions are calling for immediate adoption of the necessary measures to protect everyone from the pandemic and are calling teachers, parents and pupils for a protest demonstration on Monday 22 November at 13:30 at the Ionian Islands Regional Education Department.
More than 117 cases
ELME teachers' union President Achilleas Kapetanios stressed that from 1 November to date there have been more than 117 cases in 35 secondary schools, while according to SEPE teachers' union President Antonis Koursaris, there was an increase in cases in primary schools in the last 15 days. “Right now, it is necessary to immediately take measures for social distancing and to limit infections in workplaces. Instead of putting less pupils in classrooms, the government is drawing up plans and is constantly making classes, classrooms or even entire school units smaller.
Instead of recruiting teachers, it leaves dozens of vacant positions in Corfu. This situation cannot continue. Measures should be taken immediately in order to avoid closing schools again,” said Mr. Koursaris. He went on to say that the government is working on a plan to merge schools in Corfu, while there are specific proposals based on the number of pupils attending.
However, he explained that SEPE does not know which schools are at risk of closure since September. According to him, the Regional Education Department has already sent to the Ministry of Education a file with the schools included.
‘50% plus one’ system
As Mr. Kapetanios pointed out, in Corfu there are classes with 25, 26 and 27 students and, therefore, they do not have the necessary distances, while often the money of the school Committees is not sufficient for the purchase of antiseptics. “Managing a pandemic has to do with what measures we take regarding public transport, workplaces and generally the places where people are crowded. And, of course, one of them is schools. In those classrooms, 25 to 27 students are squeezed in, and more would squeeze in if the two teachers' unions and the Parents Association had not fought to ensure that there were no mergers of classes and schools.
Even though they claim that no classes have closed, that is basically what has happened, because there are no safety protocols in place. The ‘50% plus one’ system just makes it look like schools are functioning normally,” said Mr. Kapetanios.
Testing
However, both union Presidents criticized the fact that pupils, mainly in North and South Corfu, cannot do free rapid tests in public health facilities that are either non-existent or understaffed, resulting in parents having to pay for them themselves. “It is an undeniable fact that the early detection of cases and patients with Covid-19 can stop the spread of the virus. That’s why we ask the state to financially cover the testing of all pupils and teachers – both vaccinated and unvaccinated,” said Mr. Koursaris.
Their demands
Both unions request the implementation of a scientifically based vaccination campaign, as well as free and repeated tests in schools conducted by EODY for all teachers and pupils.
Especially in North and South Corfu, there should be permanent EODY teams and staffing of the North and South Corfu Health Centres.
They are also calling for mass recruitment of teachers, as well as of all the necessary auxiliary and cleaning staff for schools, less pupils per class and more frequent public transport.
“The cleaning staff in schools is not enough in any of the three Municipalities. There are schools that have asked for additional staffing but they have not gotten any. Especially in North Corfu we have 18 cleaners for 29 schools,” concluded Mr. Kapetanios.
