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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider IATF told: Vaccinate more students, teachers first before reopening schools

IATF told: Vaccinate more students, teachers first before reopening schools

Published Aug 29, 2021 01:32 pm

A youth group prodded the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to vaccinate more students and teachers first before allowing the resumption of physical classes.

Personnel of San Juan National High School clean and disinfect a classroom in line with San Juan City government’s measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (PNA file photo)

"For the last two weeks under our country's strictest lockdown protocol, there has not been a single day where reported cases did not breach 9,800," Take Up Space Movement said in a statement.

"All this while an urgent education crisis worsens. Many still cannot afford laptops, smartphones, and Internet connections. Many poor families have become poorer and thus cannot afford to stay in school as tuition fees hike and additional costs linger. Most of all, many students and teachers remain unvaccinated and unprotected from COVID-19 amidst the presence of the more infectious Delta variant," it added.

The youth-led group urged the government to mass vaccinate the education sector; provide subsidies for students and teachers for their Internet and electricity costs and gadgets procurement; provide refunds for unused school fees, reject fee increases, and reduce current fees; and retrofit not only classrooms, but also other facilities where students converge, such as laboratories, dormitories, and nearby computer shops.

"We demand policymakers to heed our calls and not rush the reopening of onsite classes, especially as we approach the opening of classes in public schools this coming September 13. If students are not protected and unvaccinated; if they cannot afford to participate in hybrid learning; and if they cannot afford to continue studying because of the prohibitively expensive costs of education; then we are not ready to go back on site," Take Up Space Movement stressed.

According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Philippines is one of the five countries in the world that have not started in-person classes since the pandemic began.

School closures have affected over 27 million students.

The IATF had made a fresh bid to convince President Duterte to allow the resumption of face-to-face classes in areas with low risk of widespread COVID-19 infections.

As of Aug. 27, 118 universities and colleges have been allowed to hold limited onsite classes.

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FACE-TO-FACE CLASSES Take Up Space Movement
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