By Sue-Ann Wayow
SCHOOL principals are not being made aware of positive Covid-19 cases in a timely manner and therefore the health of school population is being compromised.
First Vice-President of the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) Marlon Seales told AZP News on Wednesday that the association was very concerned about the reports of Covid cases since the full re-opening of school last week.
He said, “The association is extremely concerned with these cases because these Covid-19 cases can prove to be a major health and safety situation in our education system.”
Seales asked that the Ministry of Education put all measures in place as promised to reduce the spread of the virus amongst pupils and staff.
He said, “Additionally we would like to go on record as saying the association is not happy at all with the feedback from the District Education Health Unit. We are not pleased at all because we are very much aware that because of the lag time in the information reaching our principals at the school level, that it puts our principals at a very serious disadvantage in terms of protecting the members of the school community.”
Seales said, “Currently in the school system because that feedback takes so long, the feedback between someone testing positive and then the school getting that information because of that, it compromises the members of the school community
“Principals do not have the ability to quarantine persons they do not have the ability to suggest that persons stay at home, they do not have the ability to close schools or to close classes. They need directive from the District Health nurse attached to the unit in their district and while they are waiting, Rome is burning.”
He also reminded principals that they were the only ones given the responsibility for health and safety of their pupils by the Education Act and must do what was necessary to ensure such.
During the Ministry of Health’s virtual media conference, also on Wednesday, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said the ministry will provide whatever support necessary to the Education Ministry in the fight against Covid-19.
