July 28, 2020 at 1:11 pm
Re-opening of schools in September – MUT excludes ‘hybrid’ scenario
The MUT refers to the announcement of the Ministry for Education and Employment regarding the re-opening of schools in September. Whilst the announcement was being expected in view of the re-opening of the various services, including childcare and Skolasajf, the MUT is requesting the discussion to focus on the protocol for re-opening and the mitigation measures in terms of syllabi in relation to the possible re-opening scenarios. After carrying out a consultation with members through meetings and online forms, the MUT strongly believes that one of the proposed scenarios, to have face-to-face teaching being carried out alongside online teaching (the hybrid scenario), is not feasible from all aspects, including the educational and logistical.
The MUT is now requesting to start discussions with the Ministry regarding the protocol for the re-opening of schools and the mitigation measures that need to be carried out to the syllabi of the next scholastic years. Educators rightly expect to be kept informed about the way forward and the authorities, as the employers, should take note of the extraordinary experiences of the last scholastic year and learn from issues encountered in relation to educational aspects both in class and online, health of educators and students, resources for proper hygiene in schools and other logistical matters. As per previous months, the MUT will continue to monitor closely the situation and update members in relation to developments related to COVID-19.
