MINISTER ÖZER ANNOUNCES DETAILS ON PREPARATIONS CONCERNING START OF FACE-TO-FACE EDUCATION AT SCHOOLS

28 August 2021 11:55

Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer announced details about the beginning of full-time face-to-face education in all grades as a part of the 2021-2022 school year.
 
Recalling that the Covid-19 pandemic had caused troubles in the entire world for the last 1,5 years, Minister Özer said that the Ministry of National Education tried to support children by keeping schools open for certain periods and also through EBA digital platform and TRT EBA channels during distance education.
 
"We will start face-to-face education for five days a week and will begin in all grades and all levels by taking all required measures on September 6, Monday," said Özer noting that there will be an orientation program for preschool and 1st grade students between September 1 and 3.
 
Özer stated, "Our students will come to school between certain hours, will get used to school and develop dialogue with their teachers. With the will of Allah, we will fulfill the expectations of all parents, teachers and students and start full-time education."
 
Stressing that his Ministry worked together with the Ministry of Health in an effort to set out all measures that should be taken against the Covid-19 pandemic, Özer went on to say that, "We have informed all governor's offices, all district and provincial directorates of national education about details such as hygiene measures at school buses and schools, mask rules and ventilation." 
 
Covid-19 measures seminar for teachers
Reminding that the Ministry has organized Covid-19 seminar for teachers between August 31 and September 3, Özer said that, "There will have a detailed training program for teachers about measures that should be taken at schools, protection of teachers and students and related activities."
 
"We must protect students in order to keep schools open"
Answering a question about obligation of teachers and school workers who have to have face-to-face contacts with students for taking two PCR tests every week if they refuse to get vaccinated and if there will be any similar obligation for students, Özer said: "There is disinformation about this subject. There is no vaccination and PCR test obligation for students. Vaccination is not obligatory for teachers, school bus drivers, other personnel and administrative staff. But, teachers and school workers who have the obligation to have face-to-face contact with students have the obligation to take PCR tests twice every week."
 
Global data reveals that transmission risk from children to adults is lower than the transmission risk of the disease from adults to children. We must protect our students in order to keep schools open. We must take all kinds of measures in an effort to continue face-to-face education."
 
PCR tests of unvaccinated village school teachers and school workers
Özer pointed out to Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca's statement that obligatory PCR tests for teachers will be provided free at state hospitals adding that, "We work in cooperation with the Ministry of Health about PCR tests of unvaccinated village school teachers and school workers who have transportation problems. We are planning to give PCR tests to unvaccinated village school teachers and school workers through mobile health teams."
 
All schools will be monitored
Özer stated that the Ministry has developed an electronic tracking system for tracking infection and contacts with the infected patients during the pandemic and added: "Our parents can rest at ease. We have the school based electronic tracking system. Data collected from the system will be monitored by provincial directorates of national education and related departments of our Ministry."
 
Minister Özer stressed that school administrations will distribute health forms to parents at the beginning of the school year.
 
"We will respond to all kinds of needs of our teachers"
Mentioning concerning measures about the use of medical masks, Özer said all teachers, school personnel and students will certainly wear masks when they come to schools. He stated that the Ministry will provide free masks in case teachers, students and school personnel feel the necessity to change their masks.
 
"As of today, we have allocated funds for the mask procurement at schools in 81 cities of the country. Schools stocked masks, disinfectants and other materials required for hygiene. I could like to stress that all masks and disinfectants are produced by vocational technical schools and institutions, public training centers and special education vocational schools. On the other hand, we will distribute free hygiene kits including masks and disinfectants to teachers every month." 
 
Özer stressed that education would be normalized with the normalization of life adding that it is not possible to end the pandemic right now.
 
Priority of the government of the Republic of Turkey and the Ministry of National Education is keeping schools open by taking measures concerning health. We have taken all these measures and will monitor them. Our parents should not worry and they can be very comfortable. We must be cooperative about this issue. I request all parents, teachers and education workers to strictly follow measures that should be taken at schools against Covid-19 pandemic that we had defined in cooperation with the Ministry of Health.  If we obey the rules, we will be able to manage this process safely and solve problems."
 
Call for vaccination for parents, teachers and education workers
Noting that the PCR test results of parents cannot be controlled, Özer said, "Of course, we request our parents to get vaccinated." He called on parents, teachers and education workers to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
 
"There will be visitor restriction at schools" 
Stressing that they would like to maintain isolation as much as possible at schools, Özer said, "We would like to control entrance to schools. Due to this reason, school administrations, district and provincial directorates of national education will implement visitor restrictions at schools."
 
"Education of our children is the future of our country"
Minister Özer stated, "All visitors including parents should provide HES code before entering school. They should wear masks at all times when they are at school. We all must be extremely careful as the education of our children is the future of our country. There mustn't be any recess in face-to-face education any longer. We have the opportunity to carry out face-to-face education as long as we follow the measures. I would like to address our parents, teachers, school bus and canteen personnel. We must follow measures for the sake of their and children's health and for the continuation of face-to-face education."