Unicef ​​ensures that there is no more risk for students or teachers

After the meeting this Friday at the City’s Ministry of Education, during which the authorities ratified the start of classes on February 17, the union secretary of Ctera, Alejandra Bonato, assured that “the level of movement within of a school is so high that it could be compared to an underground party ”. he high risk of contagion This is the main argument of the educational unions to resist the presence. But an international report prepared by Unicef ​​ensures that being in classrooms does not increase the risk for teachers or students.

The document which was prepared with input from experts from other United Nations agencies, such as UNESCO and WHO, and was released on December 10. In it, the scientific evidence accumulated to date on face-to-face education and transmission of Covid-19 in the community has been reviewed. They analyzed a dozen studies, which in some cases are global surveys and in other cases are systematic reviews of multiple studies, and determined that there is no more risk with open classes than with closed classes.

“Face-to-face education does not appear to be the main driver of the increase in infection, students do not appear to be at a greater risk of infection compared to not attending. school when mitigation measures are applied, and school staff also do not appear to be exposed to higher relative risks compared to the general population, ”UNICEF concludes.

Luisa Brumana is the agency’s representative in Argentina. And it is a doubly authorized voice because it is an epidemiologist. She clarified that in the pandemic, the evidence has changed and we need to be on the lookout for new data emerging, but based on what is known to date, with protocols, the school has not been a promoter of the increase in infections And this evidence is even stronger when it comes to young children.

But for Brumana, there is other proven evidence that must also be taken into account: “The importance of face-to-face lessons not only in relation to learning, but also central role in general well-being“.

In Argentina, Unicef ​​has been carrying out exhaustive monitoring of households with children and adolescents since the start of the pandemic. The third survey, conducted in October and published in December, found that 26% of students were unable to progress in learning, 31% could not maintain a learning routine, and 58% had difficulty maintaining their attention. And only 19% of teens said they had a lot of learning in 2020.

Brumana calls on these figures to be ratified that “beyond the efforts that have been made to maintain the continuity of education through distance education, it cannot replace the presence in terms of benefits for boys ”. Being with their peers and teachers not only contributes to the emotional well-being of students, but also helps prevent violence. And for many boys and girls, school is also the key to their nutrition.

For the specialist, presence must be the guide, but with all the preventive measures: alternation systems, use of spaces to maintain distance, chin strap, hand washing. “We are not calling for a return to school like before”, clarifies. Although his specialty is epidemiology, he does not want to risk indicators that could force a turnaround, as happened in some European countries during this second wave. He argues that it is the health authorities who need to assess levels of community transmission, but if at some point “closure is inevitable, we need to think about this roadmap.” alternative measures who can focus on children in more vulnerable contexts or with special needs. Educational institutions must be the last to close and the first to open ”.

In this scenario, Unicef ​​raises the need “to move forward in collaboration to build clear political and social agreements with the aim of a return whenever possible. That means avoid making uniform closure decisions nationallyHe points out.

Brumana thinks that there is a consensus on the importance of coming back together and that it is time to broaden this consensus “and all are heading in the same direction”. These agreements to be built must include governments, unions, families and to the students themselves, which are not always heard in these debates. In the latest survey, he notes, 12% of teens said they felt depressed and 24% worried about the pandemic. And they also showed an interest in going back to school and meeting their friends there: 7 out of 10 families responded that they would send their children to school this year.

AS