Public health diplomat and epidemiologist Dr Farley Cleghorn believes with the rise in COVID-19 cases, a contingency plan needs to be activated to ensure children’s education is not interrupted when they fall victim to the pandemic.
Less than two weeks after the return to physical classes for primary school children, at least 28 have since contracted COVID-19, with at least 92 in quarantine.
“Children effectively get and transmit coronavirus and if you have an isolation policy which says if you are a contact or if you’re sick you have to stay at home for x number of days then you must have the ability to educate those children,” he said yesterday.
“That is a statutory right to education and so accommodation has to be made...for those children.”
He conceded that such a move will be hindered by available resources but the situation warrants the effort.
“Of course, it’s a resourcing issue, you know, it’s difficult for a teacher to stand in front of a class and at the same time conduct an online learning experience but that’s exactly what they should be thinking about,” he said.
“If you have 100 children in isolation, that doesn’t sound like a lot (but) to each one of those children they’re missing out on learning.”
News of additional cases in more schools continues to emerge almost daily.
While the Ministry of Education is yet to release the list of schools with cases, Guardian Media has compiled a list based on reports from parents comprising 31 institutions, 28 of which are primary schools.
Parents have said they are often not able to get clarification on cases from school administrators.
However, according to the National Primary Schools’ Principals’ Association’s (NAPSPA) Carlene Hayes, it’s because their hands are tied.
“I understand the concern of parents of other students in the school but...we can’t say to parents when there has been a COVID positive case. We are not allowed to do that,” Hayes said.
She said the school administration is bound by the principle of patient confidentiality. —Rishard Khan