– Last weekend looked like the biggest festival weekend [of the year] in the country, and then a ministry official talks here about distance learning. This is really confusing, this conversation. “
Misukka referred to a statement he made last week Kirsi Varhila, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. Varhila stated In YLE’s A-studio, the epidemiological situation casts a shadow over personal teaching, especially in universities and high schools.
“Since November, we have been of the opinion that teachers should be a priority for vaccinations. We suggested last spring that you make sure during the summer that every teacher has received a booster vaccination, but that hasn’t happened, ”Misukka said. “Many municipalities have been pioneers in making sensible decisions because the government is apparently unable to prioritize.”
Minister of Education Li Andersson (LA) on Monday encouraged teachers to contact their community and inquire about the possibility of receiving a booster dose earlier or registering as a remnant recipient.
YLE also on Monday wrote that the country’s six largest cities are currently ready to begin the school year in personal education.
Officials from the City of Helsinki told the broadcaster that the city hopes that the school year will begin with personal education, at least in primary and secondary education. A formal decision on the matter will be made later this week after a meeting of the working group responsible for combating the coronavirus in the metropolitan area.
The conclusions of the meeting are also eagerly awaited in Espoo and Vantaa.
Satu JärvenkallasThe City of Helsinki’s head of early childhood education refused to speculate on how personal teaching is organized at different levels of education and what quarantine instructions can be given to anticipate inflammation and exposure in schools.
“We have had to wait for information and make decisions at short notice throughout the pandemic,” he said.
Similarly, the City of Espoo intends to welcome children to the classroom in primary and secondary school. Even if the epidemiological situation changes and it is decided to switch to distance learning, it will not apply to students in the first three years of primary or preparatory education.
Deputy Mayor of Educational and Cultural Services Harri Rinta-Aho pointed out that the situation is different from last autumn in that many teachers are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.
“Last autumn, the relative number of teachers quarantined was higher than the number of students in the last three years of basic education. This made teaching significantly more difficult, ”he told YLE.
Espoo also adheres to the mask recommendation issued last spring, ie students in grades five and older and all school staff should wear a mask at school.
City of Oulu officials intend to consider whether the use of the mask is also recommended for students in the last three years of basic education and for students in secondary education. Jorma Mäkitalo, Head of Health Care in Oulu.
“I’m sure other measures will be weighed in as well, but the threshold for recommending distance learning is definitely very high,” he said.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
Source: The Nordic Page