For students to have a safe return to classes, is important that not only they are careful, but also their parents and teachers.
Since the start of in-person classes in Peru, the Ministry of Education has set strict biosafety measures to avoid COVID-19 infection among students. The effectiveness of these norms could be reflected in the low number of cases of infection in the last weeks, according to what can be seen on the government’s website on the situation.
Various topics have been discussed regarding the return to classes, and one of the most frequent questions by parents is about the biosafety measures that exist in schools during this plan for the return to in-person classes. Are schools safe? Will they comply with the minimum protocols to avoid infection?
On the Ministry of Educations webpage, there is didactic information about the protocols to follow for suspected or confirmed cases of infection, recommendations for biosafety in schools, and methods for tracking the health of the educational community; in this way, the safe return to classes not only involves the care of the students, but also of the teachers, parents, and staff involved in teaching.
To review the information available from the Ministry of Education, visit the following link: https://www.gob.pe/todosvuelven
Relatedly, some of these questions have also been answered in the video in the third season of the series “Families, Safe Environments” by the Wiese Foundation.
“MINEDU has established the biosafety conditions with MINSA, for which each educational location will be equipped with the following: ventilation, distancing, organization of educational spaces, signage, implementation of stations for washing or disinfecting of hands”, indicates the video from the Educational Quality program of the Wiese Foundation.
“Ventilation means that all of the spaces will be ventilated naturally, and open spaces will be prioritized. Physical distancing will be 1 meter and the educational space will be organized according to capacity and the characteristics of the furnishings. The signage will be implemented to respect all the measures of biosafety, including distancing, the correct use of masks, and the easy location of entrances and exits for enclosed spaces in the school, among others”, the video adds.
The role of the parent in prevention
As the Ministry of Education mentions in its contents, the preparation of safe environments in schools is not only the task of teachers and students, but also of parents and caregivers. In this regard, it establishes that the role of these actors in the prevention of COVID-19 prevention is fundamental.
“If we, the parents, pay attention to these measures, and give importance to them and put them into practice, our sons and daughters will practice them at school. These need to be ingrained into each one of the students in their homes. What the school will do is consolidate and reinforce what they have learned and put into practice at home”, indicates Edith Tovar, teacher and host of the series.
“Vaccination, which has now begun for children 5 years of age and above, allows them to be protected and not get seriously sick; also, it helps to decrease the spread of the virus. Let’s take our children and teenagers to get vaccinated”, she recommends in the video.
While the numbers of infections are low in comparison to other periods of the pandemic, it is important to not let our guard down, following the recommendations given by the Government and by organizations such as the Wiese Foundation, a non-profit organization that in its third season of the series “Families, Safe Environments” talks about and gives recommendations regarding how parents should deal with and accompany the return of their children to in-person classes.
If you want to see the complete video that discusses this topic, you can watch it at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT4YByaAPRA
Families, Safe Environments is a digital space from the Educational Quality program that consists of audio and video episodes which offer tools to parents so that they can establish safe environments for their households, based on unconditional love.
The Educational Quality Program seeks to significantly improve the institutional and classroom environment, and thus contribute to the development of better processes of teaching and learning in all the curricular areas.
The Wiese Foundation is a non-profit organization that promotes (manages, leads, and articulates) educational, cultural, and innovative projects of high social impact, through long-term strategic alliances and a committed and competent team.
